From staff reports Fueled by key markets in Mexico and the Western Hemisphere, U.S.
pork exports set a value record in 2023. According to USDA data compiled by the U.S Meat Export Federation, pork exports reached an $8.16 billion, a 6% increase from 2022.
A December surge led export volume to its third-largest figure on record of 2.91 million metric tons.
Mexico set records for both volume and value of pork imports from the U.S. in December, climbing 17% year-over-year to 105,451 mt, with export values reaching $233.8
million.
“2023 saw tremendous growth in global demand for U.S. pork, and it came at a time when the U.S.
industry needed it most,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom.
“The expansion of U.S.
pork’s presence in Mexico has been remarkable but the great news certainly doesn’t end there.
We are very encouraged by the robust demand we’ve seen throughout the Western Hemisphere and in a number of Asia-Pacific markets as well.”
Central American In December, exports to this region rose by 20%, breaking records for both volume and value.
Overall, 2023 exports to Central America reached the second-largest volume on record.
Despite a slight decline in December shipments, the Dominican Republic also witnessed significant growth. Due to African swine fever in domestic production, the Dominican Republic saw increased reliance on U.S. pork.
Despite a small decrease in pork variety shipments to China, exports rose to 585,806 mt, a 9% increase from 2022, valued at $1.37 billion, representing a 7% increase. China remained the largest destination for variety meat shipments at 335,591 mt. Pork exports surged 64% in South Korea to 23,912 mt – the largest in more than four years.
U.S pork exports also rose in the Philippines and Vietnam, and surged in Malaysia where African swine fever has weighed heavily on domestic production. However, exports declined in Japan by 4% for the full year.
While 2023 beef exports have remained strong in Mexico, growing by 14% year-over-year, reaching the highest volume since 2019, the second highest on record. They have faced challenges in Asian markets where economic conditions impacted foodservice demand.
U.S. beef exports to China and South Korea showed signs of improvement in December, with volume and value increasing from 2022. Notably, Taiwan has remained a significant market for U.S. beef, where the U.S. maintained a dominant position in chilled beef exports.
“There is no question that 2023 was a challenging year for U.S. beef exports, especially in our largest Asian markets where economic conditions have weighed on foodservice demand,” Halstrom said. “Of course, we were also challenged on the supply side, with less product available for export.
But nevertheless, U.S. beef achieved excellent growth in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and we are encouraged by the December uptick in demand in South Korea and China. It was also great to see such strong per-head export value in December, topping $430.”
Overall, facing varying market conditions, U.S pork and beef exports have demonstrated resilience and growth in key markets, contributing significantly to the global meat market in 2023.