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Japan’s 2013 total domestic pork output was slightly up from 2012 to 1.309 million MT (or 16.936 million head of slaughter), which partially offset a moderate decline in total pork imports that fell three percent to 1.223 million MT [Pork Cuts: down five percent at 960,000 MT (including a few thousand MT of carcass imports), Prepared Products: up six percent at 263,000 MT]. Market demand for imported chilled cuts remained strong at 382,200 MT, up 13 percent over 2012, with the United States and Canada claiming 68 and 30 percent, respectively, of total imported chilled cuts.
In 2013, Japan’s total pork consumption was estimated marginally lower than 2012 at 2.55 million MT. Relatively solid retail demand in 2013 was somewhat tempered by intense competition with other proteins in the food service and ready-to-eat market segments, including a strong substitution effect for imported prepared broiler products and a large influx of imported frozen beef. Processing demand for pork was stable in 2013.
February 2014/ GAIN-FAS/ USDA/ United States.
http://gain.fas.usda.gov
