China has completed a rapid transition from being Brazil’s most important chicken customer to becoming its direct competitor in the global poultry market, creating a new structural threat for Brazilian exporters. Driven by a deliberate government strategy to overhaul its domestic protein supply, China became a net exporter of chicken meat in 2025, creating a surplus that is now undercutting Brazil in high-value markets across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. The country’s domestic poultry production grew by more than 9% year-on-year in the first half of this year, fueling exportable volumes that are reshaping global trade flows.