The world's largest pork company WH Group said on Tuesday (U.S. time) its U.S. subsidiary, Smithfield Foods, will for the first time sell its U.S.-produced pork online in China, via online retailer JD.com Inc (JD).
The move follows other international food companies that are looking to boost sales in the world's top pork consumer through its vast e-commerce market, with a growing middle class developing a taste for branded and imported meat products.
JD's fresh food division, JD Fresh, will be the online sales platform for Smithfield's pork products in China, according to an agreement signed by Smithfield, Henan Shuanghui Investment and Development Co, which is also owned by WH Group, and JD. WH Group bought Smithfield in 2013 in a $4.7 billion deal aimed at tapping the massive supplies of U.S. meat for export to China.
