U.S. Beef Exports Soar, But Pork Suffers Under Tariffs

July exports of U.S. pork and beef were higher than a year ago, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Export value results were mixed, with beef exports posting another near-record month while pork export value declined, reflecting the impact of retaliatory duties imposed by Mexico and China.

Pork exports totaled 176,413 metric tons (mt) in July, up 1.5 percent from a year ago, valued at $465.3 million – down 5 percent year-over-year and the lowest monthly value since February 2016. For the first seven months of the year, pork exports remained 2 percent ahead of last year’s record volume pace at 1.45 million mt, while value was up 3 percent to $3.83 billion.

Led by spectacular performance in South Korea and strong growth in Japan, Taiwan and Latin America, July beef exports climbed 12 percent in volume to 116,575 mt, valued at $722 million – up 16 percent from a year ago and just slightly below the May 2018 record of $722.1 million. For January through July, beef exports established a record pace in both volume (779,450 mt, up 10 percent year-over-year) and value ($4.76 billion, up 20 percent).

With pork exports, July value suffered due to trade headwinds

The duty rate on most U.S. pork entering Mexico increased from zero to 10 percent in early June and from 10 to 20 percent in early July. This took a toll on July exports to Mexico, especially in terms of value. July volume was 56,484 mt, down just 4 percent from a year ago. But pork moved south at lower prices, with value falling 25 percent to $92 million.

In China, the duty rate on U.S. pork and pork variety meat increased from 12 to 37 percent on April 1, and to 62 percent on July 6. July exports to the China/Hong Kong region totaled 22,199 mt, down 31 percent from a year ago, while value dropped 19 percent to $55.9 million. Pork variety meat volume to China was hit especially hard in July, dropping 49 percent from a year ago to 7,446 mt. For January through July, pork and pork variety exports to China/Hong Kong dropped 22 percent year-over-year in volume (238,207 mt) and 10 percent in value ($563 million) – due in part to the higher duty rates, but also due to an upward trend in China’s domestic pork production.

Source: U.S. Meat Export Federation

Artwork: Pork Carcase Cuts
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U.S. Beef Exports Climb, Pork Steady

U.S. beef exports set new records in August with export value topping $750 million for the first time, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). August pork exports were fairly steady with last year’s volume, but retaliatory duties in key markets continued to pressure pork export value. August beef exports totaled 119,850 metric tons (mt), up 7 percent from a year ago, valued at $751.7 million – up 11 percent year-over-year and easily exceeding the previous record of $722.1 million reached in May 2018. For January through August, beef exports totaled 899,300 mt, up 9 percent from a year ago, while value climbed 18 percent to $5.51 billion. August exports accounted for 13.2 percent of total beef production, up from 12.5 percent a year ago. For beef muscle cuts only, the percentage exported was 11.2 percent, up from 10.4 percent last year. For January through August, exports accounted for 13.5 percent of total beef production and 1

U.S. Pork, Beef Exports Surge in March

The pace of U.S. beef and pork exports increased sharply in March, driven by double-digit increases to leading markets Mexico, the China/Hong Kong region and South Korea, according to statistics released by the USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). U.S. pork exports reached their highest monthly total since October 2012: 209,704 metric tons (mt) valued at $606.7 million, increasing 29 percent in both volume and value over March 2013. Exports of U.S. beef rose 12 percent in volume to 93,380 mt valued at $516.2 million, an increase of 17 percent. When measured in proportion to overall U.S. beef and pork production, March exports also showed gains. Total pork exports (muscle cuts plus variety meat) equated to 31.5 percent of total U.S. pork production in March (26 percent of muscle cuts alone) versus 28 and 23.5 percent, respectively, a year ago. Beef exports accounted for 14 percent of total production and 11 percent of muscle cuts – up from 12 and 9 perce

Solid 2018 Start for U.S. Beef and Pork

January exports of U.S. beef were significantly higher than the large totals of a year ago while pork exports were steady in volume and increased in value, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Beef exports totaled 105,486 metric tons (mt) in January, up 9 percent year-over-year, while export value surged 21 percent to $624.4 million. Exports accounted for 12.4 percent of total beef production in January, up slightly from a year ago. For muscle cuts only, the percentage exported increased from 9.5 percent to 10.1 percent. Beef export value averaged $293.06 per head of fed slaughter, up 14 percent year-over-year. January pork exports totaled 203,488 mt, steady with last year’s strong volume, while export value increased 7 percent to $545.6 million. Pork exports accounted for 24.7 percent of total pork production, down from 26.2 percent a year ago. For muscle cuts only, the percentage exported declined slightly to 21.5 percent.

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