U.S. beef export value shatters annual record, pork exports still on record pace

Frozen Bone-In Beef

Other Frozen Pork Cuts

United States

Published Dec 9, 2021

Tridge summary

October was another strong month for U.S. red meat exports as beef export value continued to soar, according to data released by USDA and compiled by USMEF. October pork exports were below last year’s large total but year-to-date shipments remained slightly above the record pace of 2020. Beef exports reached 115,709 metric tons (mt) in October, up 7.5% from a year ago, while export value climbed 48% to $956.9 million – the second-highest total on record, behind August 2021.

Original content

Through the first 10 months of the year, beef exports totaled 1.19 million mt, up 17% from a year ago. Export value increased 38% to $8.53 billion, surpassing the 2018 record ($8.33 billion) with two months to spare. Pork exports totaled 226,206 mt in October, down 7% from a year ago, while export value slipped 3.5% to $618.8 million. For January through October, pork exports were up slightly from a year ago in volume (2.47 million mt) and increased 8% in value ($6.84 billion). “USMEF has always prioritized market diversification, and this is more critical than ever now that the red meat industry faces unprecedented transportation challenges and rising input costs,” said President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “Exports will likely reach about $18 billion in 2021, which is a remarkable achievement. While global demand is tremendous and we are cautiously optimistic about further growth in 2022, supply chain pressures are not easy to overcome and are a growing concern for exporters and their ...

Source: Usmef