Pakistan emerges as new donkey supplier to China: report

Business Recorder, citing Bloomberg, reported on Tuesday that Pakistan is becoming a supplier of donkeys to China. The shift follows rising Chinese demand for donkey hides, which are boiled to make ejiao, a collagen-rich gelatin, while domestic supplies in China shrink. Buyers are also turning to Brazil and Australia as the Chinese donkey population dwindles.

Estimates put Pakistan's donkey numbers above six million, and the export plan has taken years to build. A protocol signed in October 2024 during a visit by Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang set quarantine rules for donkey meat and hides. In May 2026, the Economic Coordination Committee approved meat exports from the Gwadar North Free Zone.

A Chinese entrepreneur, Andy, has built a slaughterhouse in Gwadar through his firm Hangeng Group, which intends to handle as many as 216,000 donkeys yearly. Chief Executive Andy Liao told Bloomberg that the business could bring in about $5 million a month in foreign exchange within six months. Estimates cited in the story put potential yearly foreign exchange from donkey exports at $375 to $400 million.