China's chicken exports reach $2.6 billion as buyers from Ghana, Iraq and Russia turn to cheaper poultry

China exported $2.6 billion of chicken products in 2025, almost double its 2020 level, as buyers in Africa, the Middle East and Russia turned to Chinese poultry that traders say is about $1,000 per tonne cheaper than Brazilian and Thai supply.

Reuters reported on 15 October 2026 from Tengzhou in Shandong province that China became a net exporter of chicken in 2025, with customs data showing chicken product exports of $2.6 billion - nearly twice the 2020 figure. At Wintop Food, which processes 60 million chickens a year and sells to more than 20 countries, managers said recent weeks had brought a steady stream of buyers from Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Russia and Senegal.

"International clients used to distrust the quality," general manager Dang Yangyang told Reuters. "But when the meat is $1,000 cheaper per ton than Brazilian and Thai competitors, they have to either buy from China or lose out."

• Scale: China became a net exporter of chicken in 2025; chicken product exports reached $2.6 billion, almost double 2020 levels.
• Price gap: Chinese product is quoted roughly $1,000 per tonne below Brazilian and Thai offers, according to the trader cited by Reuters.
• Buyer interest: Inquiries reported from Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Russia and Senegal.
• Trade friction: The European Commission opened an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese Pekin duck imports in July 2026 and imposed anti-dumping duties of 41-67 percent on Chinese pea protein in September; chicken has so far escaped similar action, although the Commission says it is monitoring the market.

For importers in the Gulf and Africa, the read-across is straightforward: Chinese-origin poultry is now a serious price competitor alongside Brazil and Thailand, which puts more weight on documentation discipline - halal certification, residue and veterinary controls, and origin papers - when qualifying a new supplier.

Nau Food Group supplies frozen poultry and meat to Dubai and regional markets with halal certification, HACCP and complete origin and health documentation, and can arrange customs clearance and delivery into Jebel Ali and the Dubai Free Zones. Enquiries: info@naufoodgroup.com.

Source: Reuters, "This Chinese export boom really has legs - and wings", 15 October 2026.