U.S. beef exports for the week of Sept. 4-10 totaled 8,800 metric tons (mt), down 6 percent from the previous week and down 14 percent from the previous four-week average. Larger volumes to South Korea (2,000 mt, +2 percent) and Hong Kong (1,200 mt, +9 percent) were outweighed by smaller exports to all other primary destinations, including Japan (2,500 mt, -25 percent), Mexico (1,400 mt, -1 percent), Canada (700 mt, -24 percent) and Taiwan (560 mt, -17 percent).

Beef net sales were 12,100 mt, up 15 percent from the previous week and 8 percent above the previous four-week average. A significant increase in sales to Japan (6,700 mt, +249 percent and the largest since early August) offset slower sales to Hong Kong (1,700 mt, -50 percent), Korea (1,500 mt, -34 percent), Mexico (1,200 mt, -2 percent), Canada (500 mt, -46 percent) and Taiwan (320 mt, -60 percent).

U.S. pork exports totaled 14,900 mt, up 4 percent from the previous week, but still 7 percent below the previous four-week average. Exports increased to Chile (800 mt, +66 percent), Hong Kong (610 mt, +121 percent) and the Philippines (550 mt, +67 percent), but declined to Mexico (5,400 mt, -18 percent), Japan (2,700 mt, -24 percent), Canada (1,600 mt, -8 percent), Korea (800 mt, -8 percent), China (310 mt, -36 percent) and Taiwan (300 mt, -26 percent).

Pork net sales were 14,800 mt, up 36 percent from the previous week but 20 percent below the previous four-week average. Increased sales to Korea (4,700 mt, +96 percent and the largest since late June), Hong Kong (1,100 mt, +8 percent), China (800 mt, +4 percent), the Philippines (650 mt, +38 percent), Taiwan (405 mt, +62 percent) and Chile (270 mt, +26 percent) did not fully offset slower sales to Japan (3,900 mt, -8 percent), Mexico (1,700 mt, -74 percent) and Canada (460 mt, -68 percent). Net sales of 500 mt for Korea were also were reported for delivery in 2016.

NOTES:

• Source: USDA/FAS (includes exports and sales of whole muscle cuts).
• Percent change is compared to the previous four-week average, unless otherwise noted.
• Export is defined as an actual shipment from the U.S. to a foreign country.
• Export sale is defined as a transaction entered into between a reporting exporter and a foreign buyer. Sales can be cancelled or adjusted in following weeks, thus “net” sales are reported as the difference between new sales and any cancellations or adjustments.