In a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Service’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), experts have analysed Chinese dog and cat food imports from the US across the past ten years. Chinese whole dog and cat food imports increased from US$10 million to US$672 million. That is why China has become the fastest-growing pet food importer worldwide. In 2022, China has imported US cat and dog food worth US$264 million.
“Year-to-date (January-May 2023) U.S. exports to China have already reached a promising US$139 million, more than double the value exported during the same period in 2022,” FAS analysts found out.
According to data by Euromonitor International, Chinese dog and cat population has become the largest worldwide. From 2012 to 2022, this population increased from 69 million to 186 million.
Last year, US-based pet food companies could record an export value of US$2.47 billion. Average value of US pet food exports was US$2.08 billion across the last 3 years. From 2013 to 2022, industry exports increased by 6.2%. Although Canada still leads the list of pet food importers (US$1.12 Billion), China has drastically increased its pet food import ( US$264.15 Million) now coming in second place of the list.
After the establishment of the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement, US pet food exports to China strongly increased and has become the biggest exporter to China. According to China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC), in the first 11 months of 2022, pet food exports to China recorded at more than US$304 million. 49% of all Chinese pet food imports come from the US.
A U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement’s protocol entered into force from 15 June 2020. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and their Chinese partners could agree on the certificate language.