U.S. beef exports posted one of the best months on record in November, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). November was also a strong month for pork exports, which already surpassed the full-year volume and value records set in 2019.
“Demand for U.S. beef in the global retail sector has been outstanding and we expect this to continue in 2021,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “Unfortunately, foodservice continues to face COVID-related challenges. We expect a broader foodservice recovery this year, especially from mid-2021, but will likely still see interruptions in some markets.
“For U.S. pork, it’s great to set new records with an entire month to spare, but especially gratifying to see a diverse range of markets contributing to U.S. export growth. USMEF still expects strong pork demand from China in 2021, but we’re seeing a much-needed rebound in other regions, especially in Western Hemisphere markets.”
November beef exports totaled 115,337 metric tons (mt), up 6 percent from a year ago and the largest since July 2019. Export value climbed 8 percent year over year to $707.5 million. Through November, exports were 6 percent lower year over year in volume (1.13 million mt) and down 7 percent in value ($6.9 billion). November beef muscle cut exports were the third largest on record at 91,338 mt (up 13 percent, trailing only July and August 2019), valued at $630.4 million (up 11 percent). January-November muscle cut exports were 3 percent below 2019 in volume (883,012 mt) and 6 percent lower in value ($6.11 billion).
Beef export value averaged $338.43 per head of fed slaughter in November, up 10 percent from a year ago and the highest since April. The January-November average was $298.01, down 3 percent from a year ago. Exports accounted for 14.8 percent of November beef production and 12.6 percent for muscle cuts only, each up significantly from a year ago (13.7 percent and 11 percent, respectively). January-November exports accounted for 13.3 percent of total beef production and 11.1 percent for muscle cuts, down from 14.1 percent and 11.4 percent, respectively, in 2019.
November pork export volume was steady year over year at 258,801 mt, with value down 2 percent at $697.5 million. January-November results set new annual records for both volume (2.72 million mt, up 14 percent from the previous year’s pace) and value ($7.03 billion, up 13 percent). Pork muscle cut exports also shattered previous annual records, increasing 18 percent year over year to 2.29 million mt, valued at $6.08 billion (up 15 percent).
Pork export value equated to $63.33 per head slaughtered in November, up 1 percent from a year ago and the highest since May. The January-November average was $58.53, up 12 percent. Exports accounted for 29.9 percent of total pork production in November and 27 percent for muscle cuts, each up slightly from November 2019. Through November, exports accounted for 29.3 percent of total production and 26.6 percent for muscle cuts, each up significantly from the 2019 ratios of 26.4 percent and 23 percent.
Record shipments to China
Beef exports to China continued to reach new heights in November at 8,372 mt, up 700 percent from a year ago, with value up 642 percent to $60.1 million (by comparison, exports to China for all of 2019 totaled $86.1 million). For January through November, exports to China totaled 33,081 mt (up 277 percent year over year) valued at $237.8 million (up 239 percent). Shipments to China have trended higher since the March implementation of the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement but have been especially strong since the mid-summer rebound in China’s foodservice sector. The U.S. is now the largest supplier of grain-fed beef to China, with U.S. grain-fed volumes surpassing Australia’s monthly shipments since September.
COVID-19’s impact on Mexico’s beef demand has been more persistent, driving 2020 exports sharply lower. But November results were very encouraging, with exports fully rebounding to pre-COVID levels and reaching the highest volume since 2016 at 22,871 mt, up 23 percent from a year ago, valued at $105.1 million (up 21 percent). Through November, beef exports to Mexico were down 23 percent in volume (165,721 mt) and 28 percent lower in value ($725.7 million) compared to 2019.
November was another excellent month for beef exports to Taiwan, with volume up 8 percent from a year ago to 5,242 mt, valued at $48.7 million (up 13 percent). A strong December could push exports to Taiwan to another annual record, as January-November exports were 3 percent above 2019’s record pace at 59,404 mt, valued at $509.1 million (down 1 percent). The U.S. continues to dominate Taiwan’s chilled beef imports, capturing 76 percent market share.
Other beef highlights
• Exports to leading market Japan were steady with November 2019 at 23,871 mt, with value down 3 percent to $157.5 million. Through November, exports to Japan trailed the 2019 pace by 2 percent in both volume (280,954 mt) and value ($1.77 billion). Muscle cut exports to Japan have fared better, increasing 4 percent to 238,539 mt valued at $1.44 billion (down 1 percent).
• November beef exports to South Korea were down slightly from a year ago to 18,950 mt, valued at $134.8 million (down 3 percent). Through the first 11 months of the year, exports to Korea trailed the record pace of 2019 by 3 percent in volume (228,051 mt) and 6 percent in value ($1.59 billion). However, U.S. beef gained market share in Korea in 2020, capturing 52.7 percent of total imports (up from 50.8 percent for the same period in 2019) and 64.1 percent of chilled imports (up from 61.6 percent). Korea’s imports of U.S. chilled beef set another new record in 2020, totaling more than 62,000 mt through November.
• Led by a record month for Guatemala, November beef exports to Central America rebounded to 1,687 mt, up 36 percent from a year ago, valued at $10.9 million (up 51 percent). January-November exports to the region were still down 11 percent from a year ago in volume (12,449 mt) and 15 percent in value ($67.8 million), with demand heavily impacted by a reduction in foodservice activity.
Solid month for lamb variety meat
Led by strong variety meat demand in Mexico, U.S. lamb exports reached 1,297 mt in November, up 4 percent from a year ago, valued at $1.5 million (down 32 percent). Muscle cut exports slumped to 83 mt in November, down 42 percent, with value down 52 percent to $483,000.
For January through November, lamb exports were up 29 percent year over year at 18,652 mt, but the value slipped 8 percent to $21.9 million. Muscle cut export volume increased sharply from a year ago (8,286 mt, up 326 percent) but with a more modest increase in value ($12.8 million, up 2 percent). — USMEF
