Asia: frozen meat for the major Asian markets

APM Traders exports frozen meat to the main markets in Asia, with a wide range of cuts and by-products, and has its own production plant, Jarota Carnes (RGSEAA no. 10.17021/CO), located in Villanueva de Córdoba, in the heart of the Los Pedroches Valley, a benchmark area for Iberian pork. We control the origin, quality and traceability of every shipment, from production to delivery at destination.

Priority markets

Our destinations in Asia are China, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore and Hong Kong. Each country has its own health and market-access requirements, so we handle the export documentation and certificates for every shipment, in full or mixed refrigerated containers.

China: the world’s largest pork consumer, with a cuisine that uses practically the whole animal, from skin-on belly and ribs to trotters, ears, stomachs and intestines.

South Korea: a market built around table-top barbecue, with pork belly (samgyeopsal) and collar (moksal) as the most demanded cuts, and strict requirements on thickness and fat ratio.

Vietnam: pork is the main protein in the daily diet, eaten in soups, stews and traditional sausages, with strong demand for by-products.

Philippines: a major consumer of pork and chicken, with signature dishes such as lechon, adobo and sisig, which uses pig face and ears.

Hong Kong: one of the highest per-capita meat consumption rates in the world, with Cantonese roast pork (char siu, siu yuk) and dim sum chicken feet as benchmarks.

Singapore: a multicultural, high-purchasing-power market whose fine-dining sector values premium European products.

Our star products

• Pork belly and collar: with the cuts, thicknesses and fat ratios each market requires.
• Pork by-products: trotters, ears, pig face, tails, stomachs and intestines, cuts with little demand in Europe that Asian cooking particularly values.
• Ribs and bones: for soups, stocks and roasts.
• Iberian pork: presa, pluma and secreto for premium barbecue and fine dining.
• Poultry: feet, wings and gizzards, with high turnover in China, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Peak consumption periods

Demand in Asia is concentrated around lunar-calendar festivals and major family celebrations. That is why we plan orders months in advance, taking sea transit times into account.

• Lunar New Year (January–February): the biggest peak of the year in China, Vietnam (Tết), Korea (Seollal), Hong Kong and Singapore. Importers buy between October and December.
• Mid-Autumn and Chuseok (September–October): family meals in China, Hong Kong and Vietnam, and meat gift boxes in South Korea.
• Christmas in the Philippines (September to December): the longest Christmas season in the world, with strong demand for pork and ham for the Noche Buena dinner.
• Barbecue season in Korea (spring–summer): consumption of pork belly and collar rises.

Customers we serve

Importers and distributors

We supply pork and poultry cuts and by-products, combining items in a single container so each importer can cover their range with one order.

Processing industry

We offer raw materials tailored to each manufacturer’s specifications, with the technical data sheet agreed before the first shipment.

Premium restaurants and distribution

We supply barbecue restaurants, hotels and high-end distribution with Iberian pork and selected cuts, especially in South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong.