US beef exports set record in 2013
10/02/2014
Beef exports continued their surge in December, surpassing year-ago totals by 13% in volume and 20% in value led by growth in sales to Japan, Mexico, Hong Kong and Central/South America.
Totals for 2013 were up 3% in volume to 1.17 million metric tons and 12% in value ($6.2 billion).
USMEF CEO Philip Seng said: “Last year, the closure of the Russian market to US red meat products and our continued absence from the dynamic beef market in the People’s Republic of China stand out. The industry is focused on these challenges and USMEF is targeting the markets where we have the best chance of succeeding and creating a positive return for American producers and exporters.”
The new milestone for US beef export value also meant new records for the average export value per head: an annual record of $244.96 per head of fed slaughter, up $28.23 from 2012 and a new monthly record in December at $279.16, up $36.52 from December 2012.
Beef sales to Japan closed the year up 54% in volume (234,600 mt) and 35% in value ($1.4 billion), pushed by a strong December that was more than 75% ahead of 2012’s volume totals and 45% higher in value.
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