U.S. beef exports for the week of April 22-28 reached a 2016 high of 12,500 metric tons (mt), up 13 percent from the previous week and 8 percent above the previous four-week average. Growth was led by Japan (5,480 mt, +49 percent and the largest since July 2014) and Canada (1,130 mt, +34 percent and the largest since January), which outweighed declines to other primary destinations including South Korea (2,230 mt, -10 percent), Mexico (1,730 mt, -3 percent), Hong Kong (1,060 mt, -21 percent) and Taiwan (550 mt, -34 percent).

Beef net sales were 15,500 mt, up 29 percent from the previous week and 16 percent above the previous four-week average. Sales increased to Japan (7,090 mt, +30 percent), Korea (2,900 mt, +20 percent) and Canada (2,230 mt, +142 percent and the largest since May 2015), while sales slowed to Mexico (1,790 mt, -20 percent), Taiwan (720 mt, -20 percent) and Hong Kong (460 mt, -54 percent).

U.S. pork exports also reached a 2016 high of 23,200 mt, up 5 percent from the previous week and 16 percent above the previous four-week average. Exports increased to most main destinations including Mexico (6,570 mt, +24 percent and the largest since December), China (5,550 mt, +37 percent and the largest since improved reporting began in August 2014), Australia (1,540 mt, +69 percent and the largest since June), Canada (1,400 mt, +11 percent), the Dominican Republic (290 mt, +100 percent) and the Philippines (200 mt, +14 percent). Exports were steady to Japan (3,890 mt), but declined to Korea (1,670 mt, -21 percent), Hong Kong (760 mt, -16 percent) and Colombia (260 mt, -33 percent).

Pork net sales were 30,300 mt, down 50 percent from last week’s very large total and 13 percent below the previous four-week average, but still the third-highest total this year. Increases to Mexico (20,300 mt, +43 percent), Korea (1,780 mt, +8 percent) and the Dominican Republic (120 mt, +21 percent) were outweighed by slower sales to Japan (3,620 mt, -22 percent), China (1,900 mt, -83 percent), Canada (1,340 mt, -1 percent), Hong Kong (300 mt, -35 percent), Colombia (290 mt, -27 percent), Australia (270 mt, -57 percent) and the Philippines (50 mt, -80 percent). Corrections resulted in negative net sales for Costa Rica (-130 mt).