US dairy exports grow by 16%

In the first seven months of 2020, US dairy exports experienced a 16% increase in physical volume and a 14% increase in value compared to the same period in 2019. This growth is primarily due to increased supplies of skimmed milk powder to Southeast Asia and whey to China, though growth in these markets was partially offset by weak sales to Mexico. There was a notable 22% increase in the amount of milk powder, cheese, whey, lactose, and milk fat shipped by US suppliers in July compared to the previous year, with significant growth in shipments to Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, as well as new buyers in Egypt. However, cheese exports fell in July as suppliers found it more difficult to negotiate, and there was a decrease in deliveries to Mexico, Australia, the UAE, and Central America. Lactose exports were the lowest this year, but there was a doubling of milk fat supplies to a 17-month high, and sales of liquid milk and food semi-finished products/mixtures also increased slightly.