Chinese tariffs directly impact pig price

The import tariffs imposed by China on European slaughterhouses have had a direct impact on the pig price this week. The market has become quite disrupted, which is also reflected in the prices. Vion lowers the weekly price by €0.05 to €1.75 per kilo, which is the lowest level since 2021 at this time of year. Vion received a tariff of 32.7% imposed by China on Friday, making it the hardest hit of all Dutch slaughterhouses. Large export flow In the first half of 2025, the Netherlands exported 120,000 tons of by-products. About half of this went to China. Exports to China accounted for approximately €110 million in export value, as shown by Eurostat figures. Due to the higher import duties, it is likely that exports to the Asian country will be affected. In an explanation of the price reduction, there is no implicit reference to the tariffs. Vion does say that the market for by-products has come under heavy pressure. Additionally, the strong euro and a large meat supply in countries like Denmark and Spain are squeezing the market. This year, relatively many pigs are being slaughtered in these countries, which automatically generates a large meat supply. Germany stable Following Vion, Westfort, Van Rooi, and Compaxo also lowered their quotes by €0.05. Although reductions had been anticipated, these are still quite significant overall. The German pig price (VEZG) remains unchanged this week at €1.85 per kilo. However, Germany is not directly susceptible to the Chinese tariffs due to an ongoing boycott on German pork caused by the presence of African swine fever in the country.