US beef producers hope to capitalise on Australia’s slowdown
The head of the US Meat Exporters Federation has said the industry is aggressively pursuing opportunities presented by a slowdown in Australia’s production.
“Although it is encouraging to see beef exports to the Asian markets performing above year-ago levels, these results are a reminder of how disruptive the West Coast situation was for our industry,” said Philip Seng.
“While we still face a tariff gap in Japan compared with Australian beef, Australia’s recent slowdown in production presents an opportunity to reclaim market share – an opportunity the US industry is pursuing very aggressively. US beef is also capitalising on the tight domestic supplies in Korea, making strides in both the retail and foodservice sectors.”
US beef exports increased 3% in volume to 82,301 metric tons (mt) in January, but value was down 13% to $438.1 million.
This is despite the year-ago figures being impacted by the West Coast port labour impasse.
