Food imports plummet over 40 per cent in Q1 in China

Food imports plummet over 40 per cent in Q1 in China

                                                                                      Edited: www.immyhitech.com   www.immy.cn 

According to the latest customs statistics, China's cumulative grain imports reached 22.7 million tonnes during January - March 2025, 

down 40.8% from the same period last year. Among the major grain varieties, only rice imports showed a slight upturn, while imports 

of wheat, corn, soybeans, sorghum, barley, etc. all showed a decline.

The reduction of food imports on the domestic market is expected to have a positive impact on the trade and processing enterprises 

to effectively boost the confidence of the market for the stabilisation of domestic food prices to provide a strong support, which in

 turn inspired the farmers to plant food enthusiasm, and continue to consolidate China's self-sufficiency in food to ensure that the 

initiative of food security firmly in their own hands.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has clearly defined the national food security strategy 

of ‘focusing on us, basing on the domestic market, ensuring production capacity, moderate imports, and scientific and technological 

support’. 

Under the guidance of this strategy, on the basis of guaranteeing basic self-sufficiency in grains and absolute safety of food

 rations, China has imported food appropriately as a way to solve the problem of structural shortage of food.

The supply of food is highly elastic, while the elasticity of demand is relatively low. In recent years, domestic food production has been 

bumper year after year, while food imports have been at a high level, leading to a significant increase in market supply. However,

 the growth in demand has fallen short of expectations, resulting in a situation in which supply exceeds demand in the market, and

 food prices have thus come under pressure, showing a downward trend, which has had a negative impact on farmers' returns from 

growing food.

As a necessity of life and an important strategic resource, trade in food is generally controlled by countries around the world. 

Between food production and trade, a dynamic balancing mechanism similar to a ‘seesaw’ should be formed. During periods

 of bumper harvests of domestically produced food, imports should be appropriately cut to make room in the market for the 

domestic food industry; and when there is a shortfall in domestic food supply, imports should be expanded to fill the gap.

At present, global tariff disputes are escalating, and the uncertainty of the trade environment is increasing. While implementing

 precise countermeasures against the U.S., China has also continued to expand the scope of zero tariffs on products from developing 

countries, applying zero tariffs on imports from 43 developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and part of Europe.

This initiative not only highlights China's determination to resolutely defend its core national interests, but also reflects its firm 

stance of maintaining strategic certainty in opening up to the outside world at a high level. By deepening its cooperative relationship

 with these developing countries, China is actively promoting the construction of a more balanced, inclusive and win-win international

 trade system, injecting stability into the turbulent situation of the global economy. This not only diversifies the sources of our food

 imports and strengthens the resilience of the global food industry chain and supply chain, but also creates valuable market 

opportunities for developing countries, fully demonstrating the spirit of our country's commitment as a responsible big country.

The decline in food imports not only highlights the remarkable effectiveness of policy regulation, but also reflects China's active 

response to the complex and severe external environment of the initiative choice. In today's global food trade pattern of deep 

reshaping of the background, on the one hand, China continues to consolidate the food self-sufficiency, on the other hand, firmly

 uphold the concept of openness and cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win situation, and is committed to strengthening the

 linkage mechanism of the domestic and international markets, and make full use of two kinds of resources. By expanding the 

breadth and depth of agricultural foreign cooperation, China is making every effort to open up new horizons in agricultural 

international cooperation, with the aim of building a global food supply chain system that is more secure, stable and efficient,

 so as to build a solid foundation for the comprehensive upgrading of China's food security strategy.