U.S. Exports Relatively Steady; Big Week for Beef Sales

U.S. beef exports for the week of July 15-21 totaled 14,400 metric tons (mt), down 2 percent from the previous week but 7 percent above the previous four-week average. Increased exports to Japan (5,230 mt, +13 percent and the largest since April), South Korea (3,610 mt, +8 percent), Mexico (1,850 mt, +21 percent) and Canada (1,350 mt, +3 percent) more than offset lower exports to Hong Kong (890 mt, -17 percent) and Taiwan (780 mt, -12 percent).

Beef net sales were 20,700 mt, up 44 percent from the previous week and 45 percent above the previous four-week average. Sales increased to Japan (5,960 mt, +74 percent), Korea (5,630 mt, +44 percent and the largest since March), Mexico (3,340 mt, +59 percent and the largest since April), Hong Kong (2,520 mt, +42 percent) and Canada (1,410 mt, +35 percent), but slowed to Taiwan (1,110 mt, -7 percent).

U.S. pork exports totaled 18,600 mt, down 8 percent from the previous week and 1 percent below the previous four-week average. Increased exports to Japan (4,260 mt, +4 percent), Korea (1,540 mt, +36 percent), Hong Kong (1,020 mt, +5 percent), Colombia (390 mt, +15 percent) and Chile (380 mt, +158 percent and the largest since March) were outweighed by lower exports to Mexico (6,310 mt, -1 percent), China (2,400 mt, -20 percent), Canada (1,290 mt, -6 percent) and Australia (440 mt, -20 percent).

Pork net sales were 10,700 mt, down 5 percent from the previous week and 9 percent below the previous four-week average, despite a strong increase for Mexico (7,600 mt, +58 percent). Sales were also higher for Japan (3,300 mt, +1 percent) and Hong Kong (1,150 mt, +20 percent), but slowed to Canada (1,110 mt, -35 percent), Chile (250 mt, -50 percent), Korea (220 mt, -73 percent) and Australia (40 mt, -92 percent). Corrections resulted in negative net sales to China for the third week in a row (-3,200 mt) and to Colombia (-6 mt).

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.