Beef Exports Up in Value, Down in Volume
With California Ag Today, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.
Where’s the beef? Well, while less of it went overseas in May, what did go was worth more.
U.S. beef export value topped $900 million in May, the highest point since June 2023. According to data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation, U.S. beef exports totaled 110,133 metric tons, down five percent from a year ago but the second largest amount in 2024. That’s volume. Beef export value, however, reached $902.4 million in May, three percent higher than last year and the highest in 11 months.
Exports trended higher year-over-year to Japan, Mexico, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Region, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Central America.
January-May beef exports followed a similar trend, increasing five percent in value to $4.29 billion despite a four percent decline in volume.
How about pork? It was down in both value and volume. May pork exports totaled 251,447 metric tons, down four percent from a year ago, and valued at $715.8 million. That’s two percent below last year.
