By Jamie Martin
In June, U.S. beef exports soared to their highest value in nearly two years, as reported by the USDA and the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).
Although the total beef export volume was slightly down by 4% from the previous year, amounting to 110,155 metric tons (mt), the export value surged by 3% to $938.3 million, marking the highest level since August 2022.
This growth was largely driven by increased exports to Japan, Taiwan, and Canada. While South Korea's exports were lower than last year, they showed a significant rebound compared to May.
For the first half of the year, the total beef export value rose by 5% to $5.22 billion, even though the volume decreased by 4% to 643,733 mt.
“June beef exports performed very well in Japan, which was great to see given the significant headwinds U.S. beef has faced there this year,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “Export value also rebounded nicely in Korea and shipments to Taiwan and Canada were outstanding.”
Pork exports in June presented a mixed picture. The total volume of pork exports reached 224,392 mt, which was a 9% decline compared to last year and the lowest since September. Despite this, the export value only fell by 5%, totaling $659.7 million.
While exports to Mexico were slightly lower, they still recorded a significant value increase. Additionally, exports to Korea, Central America, the Caribbean, and Canada performed well. In the first half of the year, pork exports reached 1.52 million mt, up 3% from the previous year, and the export value increased by 5% to $4.26 billion.
“June was a slower month in a few of our key destinations for U.S. pork, including Mexico and Colombia, where exports have been on a blistering pace and buying accelerated again in July,” said Halstrom. “But June was another terrific month for U.S. pork in Korea, where exports could be record-large this year.”
Photo Credit: gettyimages-sstajic
Categories: National