Of the 46,636t of whey imported by China in July this year, 30,272t came from the US, according to Sarina Sharp of the Daily Dairy Report.

Whey has become an indispensible part of a healthy diet as well as an essential ingredient in food and beverage manufacturing. It is also used in starter rations for baby pigs.

The same cannot be said for their cheese and milk powder. Chinese cheese imports increased by 36.6% for July from a year earlier to a record high of 10,272t and by 26.4% for the first seven months of 2016.

Exports dropping

Since cheese prices in the US have increased they have now become uncompetitive in the Chinese market and their exports to China have dropped by 27.3% for the first seven months of this year.

New Zealand and Australia, the largest and second-largest cheese exporters to China, have both increased their cheese exports by 34% to that country.

WMP (whole milk powder) imports by China increased by 22.3% while SMP (skim milk powder) also increased by 0.45% but US domestic powder prices continue to see them priced out of this market.

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