Fueled by record performance in Mexico, pork exports totaled 277,910 metric tons for April, up 14% from the year prior and the f ifth largest on record.
However, U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom said demand continued to build in South Korea, Central America, Colombia, Australia and the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), with encouraging growth in Japan.
April’s beef exports totaled 111,580 mt, the largest since June 2023.
Halstrom said that Mexico shined again on the beef side, alongside the Caribbean, Central America and the Middle East.
In April, U.S. beef exports accounted for 69% of Korea’s chilled imports and 72% of Taiwan’s.
While record shipments to Mexico bolstered April’s pork exports, the Western Hemisphere and Middle Eastern markets drove April’s beef exports.
In April, pork exports to Mexico climbed 34% from the year prior to a record of 107,594 mt, while export value rose 61% to $240.5 million – another record. Both South Korea and Japan also showed strong demand for pork.
Beef exports to the Caribbean shined in April, reaching 2,891 mt – increasing 47% from the prior year and hitting their fourth largest on record. Shipments to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt fueled much of the beef export growth overall. Other areas of growth include Chile, Gabon, Honduras, Morocco, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago.