051021 USA Beef Exports Higher, Mexico Main Market

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) recently issued U.S. red meat export and import statistics for August 2005. According to the numbers, during August, U.S. exports of beef and veal cuts and beef variety meats equaled 41,516 MT. This was 7.9 percent higher than July and was 22.7 percent higher than August 2004. More specifically, exports of fresh, chilled beef totaled 12,437 MT, while exports of frozen beef totaled 3,030 MT. Beef variety meat exports during August rose 13.7 percent over July and 31.7 percent over August 2004 to 24,104 MT.

Year-to date beef variety meat exports reached 164,586 MT, 62.6 percent greater than last year. During August, the U.S. exported 25,622 MT of beef to Mexico, which was up 8.2 percent over the previous month. Year-to date exports to Mexico totaled 179,845 MT, 75.2 percent higher than a year ago. Mexico was the main market for the U.S. with 59.7 percent of the total exports. Beef exports to Canada during August rose 17.8 percent over the previous month to 4,519 MT. Total year-to-date exports to Canada were 145.7 percent more than last year, amounting to 26,918 MT. Although beef exports to Canada are stronger than a year ago, they remain low due to Canada’s supply and limited export markets. During August, the U.S. exported 4,069 MT of beef to Egypt, all variety meats. This was up 26.7 percent over July. Year-to- date exports to Egypt equaled 12,163 MT, compared to just 28 MT from the same period a year ago. Overall, U.S. total year-to-date beef and veal and beef variety meat exports were 67.6 percent above the same period a year ago, equaling 301,024 MT.

U.S. exports of pork cuts and pork variety meats during August fell 8.4 percent from the previous month to 84,068 MT. However, this was 24.4 percent higher than August 2004. Typically, U.S. pork exports slow during the summer months. Specifically, exports of fresh, chilled pork fell 10.4 percent from the previous month to 31,533 MT. Conversely, this was up 19.8 percent over August 2004. Likewise, frozen pork exports were down 17.6 percent from July but were up 59.4 percent over August 2004, amounting to 27,682 MT. During August, the U.S. exported 16,160 MT of pork variety meats. This was 4.9 percent higher than the previous month and was 8.6 percent higher than August 2004.

Nonetheless, year-to date pork variety meat exports were 1.5 percent less than a year ago, amounting to 117,229 MT. U.S. pork exports to Japan during August fell 29.1 percent from July to 24,170 MT. Total year-to-date exports to Japan reached 242,703 MT, 17.6 percent above last year. Japan was the main buyer of U.S. pork with 34.0 percent of the total exports. Pork exports to Mexico rose 15.2 percent over the previous month to 27,223 MT; and year-to-date exports equaled 189,619 MT, slightly changed from a year ago. U.S. pork exports to Asia remained strong, due mostly to increased demand following the bird influenza epidemic. Overall, U.S. year-to-date exports of pork cuts and pork variety meats totaled 713,660 MT, 20.7 percent greater than the corresponding period a year ago.

During August, the U.S. imported 104,451 MT of beef and veal. Although this was 2.8 percent less than July, it was 5.1 percent more than August 2004. More specifically, imports of fresh, chilled product totaled 34,880 MT, which was up 1.3 percent over the previous month and was up 5.2 percent over August 2004. Imports of frozen product equaled 62,192 MT. This was 9.4 percent lower than the previous month but was 5.8 percent higher than August 2004. During August, beef imports from Canada totaled 30,564 MT, up 1.1 percent over July. Year-todate beef imports from Canada were 12.9 percent above a year ago, amounting to 263,400 MT.

Accordingly, Canada was the main source of U.S. beef imports with 31.8 percent of the total. U.S. beef imports from Australia fell 10.5 percent from the previous month to 33,701 MT. Total year-to-date imports from Australia equaled 204,242 MT, 10.9 percent less than last year. During August, the U.S. imported 15,251 MT of beef from New Zealand. This was down 17.9 percent from July. Year-to date imports from New Zealand were 14.4 percent less than last year, totaling 157,474 MT. U.S. beef imports from Uruguay during August equaled 14,776 MT, little changed from the previous month. Year-to-date imports from Uruguay were 55.4 percent greater than a year ago, amounting to 126,442 MT. Overall, U.S. total year-to- date beef and veal imports reached 829,087 MT, 3.3 percent above the corresponding period a year ago. The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) expects beef imports to remain strong as U.S. cow slaughter continues to be cyclically low and cull cow prices are at cyclical highs.

U.S. imports of pork during August equaled 38,018 MT. Although this was 5.9 percent higher than the previous month, it was 15.4 percent lower than August 2004. Specifically, fresh, chilled pork imports were up 3.7 percent over July, amounting to 22,998 MT. This was 16.4 percent less than August 2004. Frozen pork imports totaled 7,971 MT, up 13.6 percent over the previous month and up 96.9 percent over August 2004. During August, the U.S. imported 31,549 MT of pork from Canada, which was 6.1 percent more than the previous month. Year-todate imports from Canada were 9.2 percent lower than a year ago, amounting to 236,296 MT. Canada was the primary provider of pork to the U.S. with 82.7 percent of the total imports.

During August, imports from Denmark rose 18.6 percent over the previous month to 4,000 MT. Total year-to date imports from Denmark equaled 29,843 MT, 28.7 percent less than last year. Overall, U.S. total year-to-date pork imports were 10.7 percent below the same period a year ago, equaling 285,869 MT.

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