Market Dynamics
Japan is one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated markets for frozen beef. In the past decade, the frozen beef market in Japan has been growing at an impressive rate. In 2018, the consumption of frozen beef in Japan was estimated to be around US$25 billion, which is equivalent to around 5% of the total beef market, both processed and unprocessed. In the past ten years, domestic demand for frozen beef in Japan has been driven by the success of restaurants, catering services, and specialty food stores. In 2018 alone, frozen beef demand in Japan increased by approximately 11.5%, driven by the popularity of convenience store product offerings and the presence of many global companies entering the market. In 2018, the majority of frozen beef sold in Japan was imported. The largest suppliers of frozen beef to Japan for the past 10 years have been the United States and Australia. Other suppliers included Argentina, Canada, Uruguay, France, and more recently New Zealand. These countries continue to supply frozen beef to Japan, however the United States and Australia still remain the largest suppliers with their beef products making up around 60% of the total Japanese frozen beef imports.
The outlook of the frozen beef market in Japan for the next 14 years (2018-2032) is likely to remain positive. With economic growth in Japan and the expansion of the retail sector, the demand for frozen beef is expected to remain high. Additionally, the growth of the restaurant and catering sectors is expected to further propel demand for frozen beef in Japan. Overall, the outlook for the Japanese frozen beef market is expected to remain positive, as domestic and foreign demand for frozen beef remains steady. The country’s strong retail sector and the demand for convenience continues to be the main drivers, with the presence of global companies further increasing demand. Moving forward, Japan is expected to remain a major destination for frozen beef imported from the leading meat producing countries of the world.
