U.S. beef exports for the week of Sept. 11-17 totaled 12,300 metric tons (mt), up 40 percent from the previous week and 25 percent above the previous four-week average. Exports to all major destinations increased, including Japan (3,400 mt, +7 percent), South Korea (2,500 mt, +31 percent), Hong Kong (2,000 mt, +66 percent and the largest since early June), Mexico (1,900 mt, +36 percent), Canada (1,000 mt, +21 percent) and Taiwan (880 mt, +39 percent).

Beef net sales were 16,500 mt, up 37 percent from the previous week and up 36 percent from the previous four-week average. Significant increases in sales to Hong Kong (5,300 mt, +57 percent and the largest since May), Japan (4,200 mt, +37 percent) and Korea (3,100 mt, +35 percent) offset slower sales to Mexico (1,200 mt, -6 percent), Canada (700 mt, -6 percent) and Taiwan (540 mt, -25 percent). Net sales for delivery in 2016 were reported for Canada (400 mt) and Japan (100 mt).

U.S. pork exports totaled 18,200 mt, up 22 percent from the previous week and 15 percent above the previous four-week average. Increases to Japan (4,500 mt, +38 percent and the largest since late June), Canada (1,800 mt, +5 percent), Korea (1,300 mt, +48 percent), the Philippines (800 mt, +101 percent and the highest since July 2014), Hong Kong (640 mt, +82 percent), Colombia (500 mt, +26 percent), Taiwan (400 mt, +13 percent) and the Dominican Republic (400 mt, +160 percent) outweighed lower exports to Mexico (6,200 mt, -2 percent), China (400 mt, -29 percent) and Chile (400 mt, -37 percent).

Pork net sales were 20,700 mt, up 39 percent from the previous week and up 20 percent from the previous four-week average. Increases were reported for Mexico (7,600 mt, +21 percent), Japan (4,200 mt, +42 percent), Canada (3,900 mt, +305 percent and the largest in 12 months), the Philippines (650 mt, +213 percent), Taiwan (410 mt, +29 percent), Colombia (390 mt, +9 percent) and the Dominican Republic (390 mt, +128 percent). Decreases were reported for Korea (1,500 mt, -58 percent), Chile (140 mt, -43 percent) and Hong Kong (30 mt, -97 percent). No sales were reported for China.

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.