WASHINGTON — Rising pet ownership in China and a consumer preference for US-made pet food products makes the country a significant opportunity for US pet food processors seeking to up their presence in the international pet food industry. 

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) “China: Pet Food Market Update 2024” report, China’s pet consumer market hit $41.9 billion in 2024, a 7.5% increase from 2023. Pet food accounts for the largest segment in this market, with a 52.8% share among all pet-related consumption. Currently the United States remains the top pet food supplier to the country, accounting for more than 69% of market share in 2024. 

Though this market offers significant opportunities for US manufacturers, they must understand several key trends to fully succeed in the Chinese pet food market. 

Cats are king

Unlike trends in the United States in which dogs are the most popular pet, Chinese consumers prefer felines over canines. In 2024, the total pet population in China was 124.1 million with 52.6 million dogs and a whopping 71.5 million cats, an increase of 1.6% and 2.5% respectively from 2023. This love for cats is expected to continue, with future projections estimating that the total dog pet population will decline. 

With rising cat populations comes demand for more cat products, propelling the growth of the cat consumer market. The size of the cat consumer market rose 10.7% in 2024 compared to 2023, while the dog consumer market rose 4.6%. 

In 2023, the dog food market held the largest share in China’s pet food market, raking in $10.3 billion, while the cat food market hovered around $9.8 billion. Despite this, the cat food market continues to grow at a higher rate increasing 7.6% year-over-year, while the dog food market only increased 3.9%. 

Format focus

China’s pet food market rose to $22.2 billion in 2024, a year-over-year increase of 9.2%. Additionally, the market’s compound annual growth rate from 2013 to 2024 was strong at 22.4%, much higher than the global average. Despite this, the current market penetration rate in China hovers around 20%, compared to other countries in Europe and North America which tout a 90% penetration rate. 

Chinese consumers have varying preferences for pet food formats, with a split between dog owners and cat owners. In 2024, dog parents’ preference for baked dry, freeze-dried and fresh formulas rose to 39.0%, 43.9% and 21.1% respectively. Extruded and wet formats were the only ones that witnessed declines from 2023 to 2024, dropping to 40.9% and 20.2% respectively. 

Looking to cat parents, their preferences for extruded, wet and air-dried formats rose to 43.8%, 12.0% and 10.5% respectively in 2024. Preferences for freeze-dried, baked and fresh formats declined to 45.0%, 40.9% and 33.3% respectively in 2024. 

Currently Chinese consumers are more likely to purchase pet food products through online channels, with large and comprehensive e-commerce platforms being the most popular. However, the use of live broadcast platforms, like TikTok, has risen significantly, according to the report. 

Import trends

According to the China Feed Industry Association, there are about 200 certified pet food manufacturers in China with an annual production capacity of 1.12 million tons. Despite this, China still imports a large portion of pet food products. The dog food market is still dominated by imported brands, while the cat food market has witnessed an increase in preference for Chinese brands. 

In 2024, $427.24 million worth of pet food products were imported to China in the first 10 months of 2024, a 17% decrease from 2023. The United States continues to be the top exporter to the country, exporting $295.04 million in pet food from January to October 2024. Additionally, US pet food was the top category for newly registered facilities and new import licenses. A majority of these new import licenses are for baked and freeze-dried pet food products. 

So far in 2024, New Zealand is the second top exporter to China at $54.10 million, followed by Thailand at $38.72 million, Italy at $20.29 million and Canada at $7.39 million.  

Looking to consumer brand preference, the majority of dog owners (47%) and cat owners (48%) do not have a brand preference regarding imported or domestic pet food. Twenty-seven percent of dog parents and 28% of cat parents will only purchase Chinese brands, and 18% of dog owners and 19% of cat owners will only buy foreign brands. 

US pet food products exported to China are currently subjected to additional tariffs, bringing the total tariff of US retail packed pet food to 29%. These tariffs could potentially increase if recent threats made by President-elect Donald Trump come to fruition. Trump has made comments about increasing tariffs on Chinese imports to the United States, and according to agriculture industry groups, increasing tariffs on importers could lead to retaliation and negatively impact the US agricultural industry. This means that it may become even more difficult for US pet food processors to export their goods to China.

Learn more about the Chinese pet food market in the “China: Pet Food Market Update 2024” report. 

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