butter,
cheese,
import,
milk powder
China increases its imports of butter and milk powders, cheese slowed down
Chinese dairy import kept growing fast in the first quarter of 2018: +15.3% in quantity and +24.2% in value y—o—y. Import is over 758,000 tons of milk and derivatives, for a total value of 2.58 billion dollars.
There is still much room for growth, it is evident: the key is to spread the culture of consuming dairy products.
The growth in imports is widespread among the products. Nevertheless, cream had a slowdown (—3.2% in quantity) and also cheese imports decreased by 5% in volume, while it grew by 3.6% in value.
China is confirmed as a good importer of WMP (+9.9% in quantity and +21.6% in value), packed milk (+36.3% in quantity and +60.1% in value) and whey powder (+11.5% in quantity, but — 2.2% in value).
Butter had a positive acceleration, too: its imports rose by 29.9% in quantity and by 82.9% in value.
New Zealand is still a privileged partner of China, especially for WMP, whose export increased by 12% in the first quarter of 2018, y—o—y. New Zealand accounts for 96% of WMP export to China, leaving the remainder to Australia, France, the U.S. and the Netherlands.
The Netherlands increased its export share, too, and confirmed its leadership in infant milk formula export to China with a 40% market share. Also its milk and cream export and WMP export increased, respectively by +74% and +27%.