Tail Long tails are preferred over short tails. Therefore, it is desirable to keep the root and skin at the tail base and to trim excess fat when the tail is removed. Processing and packaging methods are key factors in determining sales volume and prices in the Chinese market. A thorough discussion with the Chinese buyer regarding export specifications will always be important before any product is exported. Market Prices Variety meat prices vary according to whether the product is sold by state-run plants or wet markets and whether the products are imported.
Prices also vary from city to city and by season.
Table 1 shows wholesale prices of pork variety meats at various markets in China. Transportation costs from the U.S. Midwest to Nanjing were about 14 cents per pound at the time prices were collected. Comparing the U.S. price plus transportation costs with the Nanjing wholesale price shows that exports of U.S. pork variety meats to Nanjing would have been profitable in January 1997. Note that although liver is included in the price comparison in Table 2, it does not appear on the list of popular variety meat items. Based on the research for this study, it appears that imported livers are not popular among Chinese traders.