Coronavirus drives record US beef exports in February
US pork exports posted the third largest month on record in February while beef exports also recorded double-digit gains from a year ago, according to the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF).
U.S. beef exports, increasing 18% from a year ago to 112,021 mt and climbing 17% in value ($681 million).
The record sales to China and Hong Kong were in part due to businesses in Asia being closed due to the coronavirus.
With COVID-19 dominating all news headlines, including those related to global trade, USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said the February export results confirmed that global demand for high-quality protein remains strong and resilient.
"By February, COVID-19 had emerged as a major health concern in several key Asian markets and was certainly impacting consumer and business activity, so it is great to see US pork and beef exports achieve such strong growth," Halstrom said. "Obviously these are uncertain economic times and the road ahead remains very challenging, but these results are really a great testament to our international customer base.
“In the face of unprecedented obstacles, importers, retailers and restaurateurs are finding creative ways to meet consumer needs, and with record production the US industry is well-positioned as a supplier. While we are in an unusual business climate that requires a lot of flexibility and innovation, there are excellent opportunities for red meat exports to continue to build momentum."
