China's chicken meat exports hit a record monthly high in August 2026

China exported 144,500 tonnes of chicken meat in August 2026 - a record for a single month, up 49.6% year on year - and cumulative exports for January-August reached 970,600 tonnes, up 51.1%. Chinese frozen poultry is now a structural part of global supply, not a seasonal one.

Customs data for August, the latest month available, shows that China's chicken meat exports kept accelerating through the third quarter. The month-on-month change was flat (up 0.69%), which matters: it means the high volume was sustained rather than a one-off spike. Few origins can place that kind of continuous volume into overseas markets.

• August 2026 exports: 144,500 tonnes, +49.57% year on year, the highest monthly figure on record.
• January-August 2026: 970,600 tonnes, +51.08% year on year.
• Product mix (Jan-Aug): chicken breast and frozen breast cuts 612,400 tonnes (63.1% of all exports, +54.9%); bone-in frozen chicken cuts 102,900 tonnes (+187.3%); prepared and preserved leg meat 99,500 tonnes (+17.1%).
• August alone: bone-in frozen chicken cuts 18,000 tonnes (+125.6% year on year); prepared and preserved leg meat 13,900 tonnes (+31.4%).
• Leading destinations (Jan-Aug): Japan 162,300 tonnes (16.7%), Hong Kong 124,000 tonnes (12.8%), Russia 92,600 tonnes (9.5%).

The fastest growth is in exactly the categories Gulf, African and Central Asian importers buy: bone-in frozen chicken cuts grew almost threefold year on year, and standardized cut specifications - not whole birds - now dominate the export book. For buyers, that means deeper supply, more consistent grading and shorter lead times from Chinese plants than the market offered two years ago.

Nau International Food Group supplies halal frozen chicken breast and chicken leg quarters from China into the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, on a fully certified basis: halal certification, HACCP (No. 115HACCP2500478), GACC-registered plant (No. 0900/03003), veterinary and health certificates, and certificate of origin with every consignment. Product is blast-frozen and held at -18 degrees C, with a 365-day shelf life, packed 2 kg x 6 per carton for breast and 10 kg x 1 for leg quarters, on a 28 tonne (1 x 40 ft reefer) minimum order. We can arrange customs clearance into Jebel Ali and quote FOB, CIF or DDP. For specifications, prices or a sample schedule, write to info@naufoodgroup.com.

Source: China Customs monthly import and export statistics for August 2026, compiled by the China Feed Industry Information Network (chinafeed.com.cn), 24 September 2026.