US heat-treated chicken paw exports to China surged in 2025
Non-tariff barriers and new rivals threaten to limit further growth
23 June 2026
1 minute read
By: US exports of heat-treated chicken paws to China surged in 2025, reaching 80,447 metric tons valued at $252.8 million, up 82.9% in volume and 53% in value year over year, according to a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service poultry marketing update on China.
The growth has been driven by HPAI restrictions that continue to block a large number of US poultry plants from exporting frozen raw paws to China despite a 2020 regionalization protocol. Heat-treated paws have emerged as an alternative, gaining market share due to their lower price and improved US processing methods that allow the product to be re-fried or further prepared after arrival.
However, the USDA said imports of heat-treated paws are currently facing stricter inspections and higher rejection risks in China, with non-tariff barriers expected to limit further growth in 2026.
China also granted market access for heat-treated chicken paws from Kazakhstan in September 2025, though volumes are expected to be very limited.
