Faced with livestock shortages, the US is expected to increase its meat imports

Published Sep 7, 2024

Tridge summary

In the first half of 2024, the United States experienced a significant surge in beef and live cattle imports, with a 19% increase in live cattle imports and an 11% and 29% rise in fresh/chilled and frozen beef imports, respectively, compared to the same period in the previous year. This growth is largely attributed to the decline in the U.S. cattle herd, which has reached its lowest level since the 1950s, due to factors such as prolonged drought and high production costs. Mexico has been a major supplier of live cattle, while Canada and Mexico lead in fresh or chilled meat exports. However, the meat trade between Mexico and the U.S. faces challenges, including safety issues on Mexican roads and inadequate cold chain infrastructure. Meanwhile, Colombia is struggling to gain access to the U.S. meat market due to delays in the sanitary admissibility process, hindering its meat producers from benefiting from the high meat prices and demand in the U.S. market.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

In the first half of 2024, the United States saw a significant increase in beef and live cattle imports, driven by high domestic prices and declining cattle herds, which have reached their lowest level since the 1950s, as revealed in this Farm Progress article. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), live cattle imports increased by 19% compared to the same period last year, reaching 1.12 million head. Likewise, imports of fresh/chilled and frozen beef grew by 11% and 29%, respectively, totaling 331,550 and 365,067 tons. Factors Driving U.S. Beef Imports This increase in imports is due to a combination of factors, most notably the decline in the U.S. cattle herd. Prolonged drought in key states, coupled with high production costs and reduced cattle slaughter, have led to a shortage of lean beef, especially used in ground beef production. This has made the U.S. market an attractive destination for imports. Most of the live cattle imports come from Mexico, ...

Source: Agromeat