For the month of June, the US exported 165,065mt of pork, worth US$468.3m, while beef exports for the same month totalled 94,119mt, with a value of $464.4m.
Mexico remains the most important market in terms of volume for US pork, climbing by 13% in the first half of the year with value up by 11%. However, Japan leads the field in terms of value to US pork exporters, increasing by 7%, despite a 7% drop in volume.
Philip Seng, USMEF president and CEO, said: “The remainder of 2012 will be very challenging in Japan, but we continue to pursue new marketing opportunities. In Mexico, we are focused on growing overall pork consumption, as this will definitely pay long-term dividends for the US industry.”
Russia also remains a growing sector for US pork producers, with export volumes up 75% on last year to 11,094mt while value increased to US$30m and Seng said the US was gaining increasing traction in the market.
When it comes to beef, Mexico remained the leading volume market for US beef, accounting for 103,751mt worth $446m in the first half of the year, but has fallen to third place in terms of value, behind Canada and Japan.
“While we are pleased to see beef export value on a record pace again this year, USMEF is focused on reversing this decline in volume,” Seng said. “The economic challenges are significant, and there is no single approach that applies in every market. But we are working with our contacts in the trade to educate customers about more economical beef cuts, which can help them maintain or expand their purchases of US beef. We also take great care to emphasise the unique attributes of US beef in an effort to build customer loyalty even in times of rising costs.”
Meanwhile, lamb exports remain sluggish, USMEF said, falling 34% in volume and 19% in value for the first half of the year.
The US Meat Export Federation said pork exports were 5% higher in volume and 13% higher in value, while beef exports declined in volume by 11%, but climbed in value by 4%.
