Live cattle trade is part of the integrated markets for beef and cattle in North America. Canada and Mexico account for 100% of U.S. cattle imports and 95% of cattle exports. Total cattle imports have averaged 1.93 million head annually over the past 10 years with a high of 2.36 million head in 2014 to a low in 2022 of 1.63 million head. Total cattle imports average roughly 73% feeder cattle and about 27% slaughter cattle, with less than 1% breeding cattle.
Cattle imports from Canada have averaged about 795,000 head per year in the past decade and consist of a diverse set of slaughter steers and heifers, slaughter cows and bulls, feeder cattle and breeding cattle.
In the last five years, cattle imports from Canada have consisted of an average of 43% fed steers and heifers for immediate slaughter, consisting of a mix of 43.8% fed steers and 56.2% fed heifers. Cattle imports from Canada have included an average of 29.4% slaughter cows and bulls (84.1% cows and 15.9% bulls).Another 25.9% of cattle imports from Canada are feeder steers and heifers, with an average mix of 24.4% steers and 75.6% heifers.
U.S. imports of cattle from Mexico have averaged 1.14 million head per year for the last 10 years. Annual imports in the last decade have ranged from a high of 1.44 million head in 2020 to a low of 871,000 head in 2022.Over the last 30 years, imports of cattle from Mexico have varied from a high of 1.65 million in 1995 to a low of 456,000 head in 1996. Imports of Mexican cattle average 99.8% feeder cattle with just a few slaughter and breeding animals.
The U.S. exports relatively few live cattle compared to cattle imports. Over the past 10 years, cattle exports have averaged 241,000 head, ranging from a low of just under 69,000 head in 2016 to a high of nearly 511,000 head in 2021. The total cattle exports in 2021 were the highest in 47 years of available data.
Canada and Mexico combined account for 96% of total cattle exports in recent years, with roughly 86% exported to Canada and 14% to Mexico. Roughly 98% of cattle exports to Canada are listed as crossbred feeder cattle with the remainder breeding cattle. Exports of cattle to Mexico increased sharply in 2021 and 2022 and consisted of roughly 81% crossbred feeder cattle.
Perspective is important to understand the relative magnitude of North American cattle trade. Total imports of feeder cattle have equaled an average of 3.9% of the annual U.S. calf crop in the past five years. Imports of fed steers and heifers represented 1.2% of total fed slaughter and imported slaughter cows and bulls have averaged 2.9% of total cow and bull slaughter in the last five years.
For the first seven months of 2023, total cattle imports are up 12.4% year over year. Cattle imports from Canada are down 16.2% for the year to date while cattle imports from Mexico are up 39.6% over the 14-year low in 2022.— Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist
