U.S. Exports Mixed; Strong Week for Net Sales

U.S. beef exports for the week of July 29-Aug. 4 totaled 14,300 metric tons (mt), down 3 percent from the previous week but 4 percent above the previous four-week average. Exports trended higher for most destinations including Japan (4,900 mt, +6 percent), South Korea (3,600 mt, +2 percent), Mexico (1,800 mt, +5 percent), Hong Kong (1,200 mt, +22 percent) and Taiwan (1,200 mt, +31 percent). Exports were lower for Canada (740 mt, -38 percent).

Beef net sales were 23,300 mt, the largest since March and 60 percent above the previous four-week average. Big bookings for Japan (13,600 mt, +210 percent, also the largest since March) and Hong Kong (3,100 MT, +74 percent, the largest of 2016) offset lower sales for Korea (3,100 mt, -5 percent), Mexico (1,300 mt, -44 percent) and Taiwan (900 mt, -20 percent).

U.S. pork exports totaled 17,300 mt, down 8 percent from the previous week and 5 percent below the previous four-week average. Primary destinations were Mexico (6,000 mt, -3 percent), Japan (4,000 mt, -5 percent), Canada (1,700 mt, +27 percent), China (1,300 mt, -47 percent), Korea (1,200 mt, -8 percent), Hong Kong (1,200 mt, +15 percent), Colombia (420 mt, +28 percent) and Chile (400 mt, +83 percent).

Pork net sales continued to rebound as volume reached 17,400 mt, up 20 percent from the previous week and 63 percent above the previous four-week average. Sales were mainly reported for Japan (4,500 mt, +15 percent), Mexico (3,400 mt, -23 percent), Hong Kong (2,100 mt, +216 percent), Canada (2,000 mt, +73 percent), Australia (1,500 mt, +137 percent), Chile (1,350 mt, +164 percent), Korea (1,150 mt, -4 percent) and China (460 mt, following 227 mt the previous week and negative net sales prior to that).

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.