BEIJING: China imported 34,000t of whole milk powder in December 2016, an increase of 76% on the same month in 2015. It is also an increase from the 30,620t imported in November. New Zealand accounted for just under 88% of the imports.
The Chinese new year is slightly earlier this year, 28 January, which may have contributed to an increase in imports. In total, China imported 419,750t of WMP in 2016, 21% more than it did in the previous year. Meanwhile, skimmed milk powder (SMP) imports decreased by 27% in December, compared with 2015. In total, China imported 184,470t of SMP in 2016, which is an 8% fall on the previous year. Imports of infant formula products for the year increased by 25% on 2015 to 225,330t. Total butterfat imports were up by 15% on 2015 to 81,870t despite the fact that they eased off in December somewhat. Cheese also saw an increase of 29% in import volumes to 97,180t. This is a 150% increase on cheese import figures for 2012.
