Record-large shipments to Mexico lead strong month for US pork exports

Fresh off a record year, pork exports to Mexico didn’t miss a beat in January, according to a recent press release from the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Export volume was a record 96,800 mt, up 11% from a year ago and 7% above the previous high in December 2022. January export value soared 40% to $191.2 million. Demand for US pork is surging even as it faces increasing competition in Mexico, due to suspension of import duties for all eligible suppliers through the end of 2023. Mexico also recently opened to some imports from Brazil. Pork exports to the Dominican Republic also remained strong in January, increasing 28% year-over-year to 8,185 mt, while export value jumped 67% to $23.8 million. The DR also suspended import duties from all suppliers for a portion of 2022. But with that decree now expired, the US is the only major supplier with duty-free access at a time when the DR’s domestic production is struggling to overcome the impact of African swine fever (ASF). While ...