Canada beats US in pork sales to China - feet, elbows and all

Winnipeg

CANADA has overtaken the United States as the top North American supplier of pork to China as farmers and meat packers in both nations battle for lucrative shares of the biggest global market.

Canada's pork sales to China, after a sharp rise last year, exceeded those of the US in the first quarter of 2017. That's only happened a handful of times in two decades, according to US and Canadian government data.

Rising affluence is driving China's voracious appetite for pork, including parts of the pig - feet, elbows, innards - which command little value in most countries.

At th…