WASHINGTON: September was another solid month for US red meat exports, with pork, beef and lamb totals well above year-ago levels, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF). After a somewhat slow first half of the year, pork exports to Mexico moved higher in August and continued to climb in September – posting the second-largest monthly volume on record (66,567 mt, up 14 per cent from a year ago).
September value to Mexico was $131.4 million, up 25 per cent from a year ago and the highest since December 2014. For January through September, exports to Mexico pulled within 4 per cent of last year’s record pace in volume (510,737 mt) and moved 1 per cent higher in value ($939.7 million). USMEF’s efforts to bolster pork demand in Mexico continue to pay dividends, as per capita pork consumption has increased nearly 20 per cent since 2011 and now exceeds 40 pounds per year.
Another positive factor for pork exports to Mexico has been the slowdown in shipments to China/Hong Kong, where the product mix tends to be similar. While still well above last year, September exports to China/Hong Kong (36,184 mt, up 26 per cent) were down significantly from the May peak of 58,000 mt, reflecting a rebound in China’s domestic pork production. For January through September, exports to China/Hong Kong were up 70 per cent from a year ago in volume (406,422 mt) and 57 per cent higher in value ($787.3 million).
