Of that global spending metric, $22.6 billion (71%) was for imported frozen poultry meat. In comparison, $9.26 billion (29%) encompasses international spending on imports of fresh or chilled chicken (versus 28.2% for 2023).
The value of globally imported frozen chicken increased by an average 37.9% since five years earlier in 2020 when frozen chicken meat shipments were valued at $16.4 billion. From 2023 to 2024, imports of frozen poultry grew by 3.8%.
On the other hand, imports of fresh or chilled chicken increased at a faster pace (up 41.7% compared to $6.5 billion during 2020) and advanced by 6.2% year over year.
Geographic Insights for Imported Poultry
From a continental perspective, buyers in Asia bought 58.1% of frozen chicken imports but just 5.1% of imported fresh or chilled chicken. In contrast, importers in geographically concentrated Europe bought 84.2% of all imported fresh or chilled chicken compared to 18.9% of frozen chicken imports. Buyers based in North America imported 9.8% of the global subtotal for fresh or chilled chicken and 4.9% for frozen poultry meat.
African importers generated 9.9% of international frozen chicken purchases versus 0.6% of fresh or chilled poultry. For Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, the percentages are 7.4% for frozen chicken versus 0.32% for the fresh classifications.
Another smaller continental player for importing chicken is distant Oceania including Papua New Guinea at 0.8% for frozen product compared to a miniscule 0.06% for fresh or chilled poultry due to relative geographic isolation.
For research purposes, the six-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code prefixes are 020711 for whole fresh or chilled chicken, 020713 for fresh or chilled chicken cuts and offal, 020712 for whole frozen chicken and 020714 for frozen chicken cuts and offal.
Chicken Imports by Country: Fresh
Below are the 15 buyer countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of fresh or chilled chicken during 2024, encompassing both whole chicken and cut pieces.
- United Kingdom: US$1.5 billion (16.5% of imported fresh/chilled chicken)
- France: $1.3 billion (14.4%)
- Germany: $1.2 billion (13.2%)
- Netherlands: $822.9 million (8.9%)
- Mexico: $476.9 million (5.1%)
- Belgium: $391.2 million (4.2%)
- Canada: $343.2 million (3.7%)
- Slovakia: $310.2 million (3.3%)
- Austria: $285.2 million (3.1%)
- Czech Republic: $241.1 million (2.6%)
- Hong Kong: $225.2 million (2.4%)
- Ireland: $190.9 million (2.1%)
- Spain: $157.1 million (1.7%)
- Hungary: $128.1 million (1.4%)
- Portugal: $127.7 million (1.4%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 84.1% of all fresh/chilled chicken imported in 2024.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing importers fresh/chilled chicken since 2020 were: Spain (up 255.9%), Slovakia (up 179.3%), Austria (up 171.9%) and Portugal (up 164.2%).
Those countries that posted the most modest gains in their imported fresh/chilled chicken purchases were Mexico (up 3.5% from 2020) and Hong Kong (up 8.6%).
Top Chicken Imports by Country: Frozen
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of frozen chicken during 2024.
- mainland China: US$2.9 billion (12.8% of imported frozen chicken)
- Saudi Arabia: $1.6 billion (6.9%)
- Japan: $1.4 billion (6.4%)
- United Arab Emirates: $1.2 billion (5.1%)
- Iraq: $937.6 million (4.1%)
- Mexico: $760.4 million (3.4%)
- Netherlands: $713.9 million (3.2%)
- France: $471.3 million (2.1%)
- Philippines: $463.3 million (2%)
- South Korea: $450.3 million (2%)
- Malaysia: $436.8 million (1.9%)
- Germany: $423.8 million (1.9%)
- Singapore: $393.1 million (1.7%)
- Cuba: $366 million (1.6%)
- Ghana: $361.6 million (1.6%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 56.6% of all frozen chicken imported in 2024.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing importers of frozen chicken since 2020 were: Mexico (up 232.1%), Malaysia (up 210.2%), Netherlands (up 133.4%) and Iraq (up 92.7%).
Mainland China was the lone listed country to cut back in its spending on imported frozen chicken purchases, recording a -16% slowdown from 2020.
Note that buyers in the United States of America failed to make the above list. This, despite America’s purchases of frozen chicken increased by 26.6% to $232.4 million in 2024 compared to $180.6 million for 2020.
See also Chicken Exports by Country, Fresh or Frozen Beef Imports by Country, Pork Exports by Country and Goat Meat Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on July 13, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 13, 2025
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 13, 2025