07/31/08 Beef exports 2008

Want to hear some good news about import, export balances? I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back right after this with some positive numbers. About anytime a person hears import, export news in the United States it's about the general deficient or the large oil imports coming into this country. I know the beef import, export positive ratio can't offset the large general shortfall, but it is a positive segment of American's trade markets. Greg Henderson reports in Drovers magazine the U.S. is projected to have 24 percent positive beef exports over imports for 2008. Figures from the first quarter of the year show a 37 percent increase over first quarter 2007. Beef and beef variety meat value increased 40 percent to $682.7 million in that same time period. Where are large increases of exports being reported? Well, exports to Mexico rose 21 percent, 48 percent to Japan and Canadian imports of U.S. beef and beef products increased 57 percent. Granted the increase to Japan is larger because we are only just beginning to build that market back since Japan closed its border to U.S. beef in 2003 over a BSE problem that was not really ours. I know this positive note on beef exports is not going to balance our country's trade deficient, but American cattlemen, feeders and packers can be proud they are producing a commodity that is an asset to the U.S. economy. I'm Jeff Keane. Drovers July 15, 2008