U.S. pork exports for the week of Aug. 5-11 totaled 17,900 metric tons (mt), up 3 percent from the previous week but 4 percent below the previous four-week average. Exports trended higher for Mexico (6,800 mt, +6 percent), Canada (1,600 mt, +7 percent) and Chile (400 mt, +35 percent) and were steady for Hong Kong (1,100 mt). But exports to China (1,200 mt, -42 percent) were the smallest since January and volumes also trended lower for Japan (4,100 mt, -6 percent), South Korea (900 mt, -30 percent), Australia (500 mt, -8 percent) and Colombia (350 mt, -10 percent).

Pork net sales were 15,300 mt, down 12 percent from the previous week but 13 percent above the previous four-week average. Net sales were higher for Korea (2,200 mt, +75 percent), China (900 mt, the largest since early June) and Chile (800 mt, +22 percent), but trended lower for Mexico (4,500 mt, -5 percent), Japan (3,400 mt, -20 percent), Australia (950 mt, -8 percent), Canada (800 mt, -38 percent) and Colombia (350 mt, -9 percent). Sales for Hong Kong were just 75 mt (-94 percent) following large sales the previous week.

U.S. beef exports totaled 14,700 mt, up 3 percent from the previous week and 1 percent above the previous four-week average. Shipments were record-large for Korea (4,500 mt, +18 percent) and moved higher for Hong Kong (1,400 mt, +30 percent) and Taiwan (1,200 mt, +12 percent), but slowed to Japan (4,200 mt, -15 percent), Mexico (1,800 mt, -2 percent) and Canada (850 mt, -21 percent).

Beef net sales were 14,100 mt, down 39 percent from the previous week’s large total and 18 percent below the previous four-week average. Net sales improved for Taiwan (1,200 mt, +6 percent) but trended lower for most destinations including Korea (3,600 mt, -6 percent), Japan (3,600 mt, -41 percent), Hong Kong (2,200 mt, -8 percent), Mexico (2,000 mt, -2 percent) and Canada (580 mt, -40 percent).

• 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.