In 2024, global purchases of fresh, chilled, or frozen chicken reached a total value of US$31.9 billion.

Out of this worldwide spending, about $22.6 billion (71%) went to frozen poultry meat imports, while the remaining $9.26 billion (29%) accounted for fresh or chilled chicken. Compared to 2023, the fresh/chilled share slightly increased from 28.2% to 29%.

Since 2020, the value of frozen chicken imports has expanded by 37.9%, rising from $16.4 billion. Year over year, frozen chicken purchases advanced another 3.8%. Fresh and chilled chicken imports grew even more strongly, climbing 41.7% compared to $6.5 billion in 2020, with an annual gain of 6.2% from 2023 to 2024.

Regional Breakdown of Poultry Imports

From a continental perspective, demand varied significantly:

·Asia accounted for 58.1% of frozen chicken imports but only 5.1% of fresh/chilled poultry.

·Europe dominated the fresh/chilled category with 84.2% of global imports, while representing 18.9% of frozen purchases.

·North America imported 9.8% of fresh/chilled chicken and 4.9% of frozen poultry.

·Africa contributed 9.9% of frozen chicken imports and just 0.6% for fresh.

·Latin America (excluding Mexico, including the Caribbean) imported 7.4% frozen vs. 0.32% fresh.

·Oceania, led by Papua New Guinea, made up 0.8% of frozen chicken and 0.06% of fresh, reflecting geographic isolation.

For research, the HTS (Harmonized Tariff System) codes include:

·020711: Whole fresh/chilled chicken

·020713: Fresh/chilled chicken cuts and offal

·020712: Whole frozen chicken

·020714: Frozen chicken cuts and offal

Fresh Chicken Imports by Country (2024)

The top 15 importers of fresh or chilled chicken (whole and cuts) were:

1.United Kingdom: $1.5 billion (16.5%)

2.France: $1.3 billion (14.4%)

3.Germany: $1.2 billion (13.2%)

4.Netherlands: $822.9 million (8.9%)

5.Mexico: $476.9 million (5.1%)

6.Belgium: $391.2 million (4.2%)

7.Canada: $343.2 million (3.7%)

8.Slovakia: $310.2 million (3.3%)

9.Austria: $285.2 million (3.1%)

10.Czech Republic: $241.1 million (2.6%)

11.Hong Kong: $225.2 million (2.4%)

12.Ireland: $190.9 million (2.1%)

13.Spain: $157.1 million (1.7%)

14.Hungary: $128.1 million (1.4%)

15.Portugal: $127.7 million (1.4%)

These 15 nations together accounted for 84.1% of global fresh/chilled chicken imports in 2024.

The fastest-growing importers since 2020 were:

·Spain (+255.9%)

·Slovakia (+179.3%)

·Austria (+171.9%)

·Portugal (+164.2%)

By contrast, Mexico (+3.5%) and Hong Kong (+8.6%) showed the smallest increases.

Frozen Chicken Imports by Country (2024)

The 15 largest importers of frozen chicken were:

1.Mainland China: $2.9 billion (12.8%)

2.Saudi Arabia: $1.6 billion (6.9%)

3.Japan: $1.4 billion (6.4%)

4.United Arab Emirates: $1.2 billion (5.1%)

5.Iraq: $937.6 million (4.1%)

6.Mexico: $760.4 million (3.4%)

7.Netherlands: $713.9 million (3.2%)

8.France: $471.3 million (2.1%)

9.Philippines: $463.3 million (2%)

10.South Korea: $450.3 million (2%)

11.Malaysia: $436.8 million (1.9%)

12.Germany: $423.8 million (1.9%)

13.Singapore: $393.1 million (1.7%)

14.Cuba: $366 million (1.6%)

15.Ghana: $361.6 million (1.6%)

Together, these nations bought 56.6% of global frozen chicken imports in 2024.

The fastest-growing importers since 2020 included:

·Mexico (+232.1%)

·Malaysia (+210.2%)

·Netherlands (+133.4%)

·Iraq (+92.7%)

China was the only country on the list to record a decline, down -16% from 2020.

Interestingly, the United States did not appear in the top 15, though its frozen chicken imports rose by 26.6%, reaching $232.4 million in 2024 (up from $180.6 million in 2020).

Top Chicken Import Companies in 2024

According to Tendata, the following were the 10 leading companies involved in chicken imports during 2024:

1.INDUSTRIALIZADORA DE CARNICOS STRATTEGA – 4.2% ($211.35M)

2.SUKARNE – 2.7% ($135.68M)

3.AYVI – 2.53% ($127M)

4.INTERRA INTERNATIONAL – 2.33% ($117.3M)

5.PRODUCTOS ALIMENTICIOS SUPER – 1.75% ($87.9M)

6.LAMEX AGRIALIMENTOS – 1.26% ($63.24M)

7.IMPORTADORA PRIMEX – 1.25% ($63M)

8.TYSON MEXICO TRADING – 1.17% ($58.88M)

9.PILGRIMS PRIDE – 1.17% ($58.8M)

10.CATTLE AND POULTRY SPR – 1.16% ($58.42M)