The US-China relationship and the Brexit outcome will be the major trade matters in 2021, but a range of other issues, including the COVID-19 recovery will the influence global protein trade, Rabobank analysts forecast.

"Overall I would say the tightness of the protein situation is becoming less but we are by no means recovered," Rabobank senior analyst Gorjan Nikolik told IntraFish.

Under the outgoing Trump regime China's imports of US pork and poultry have grown significantly.