American Beef Export Trade Stats: March 2020
Beef Highlights:
March 2020:
Beef: 87,624 mt, +8%, $616 million +3%
BVM: 27,684 mt, +5%, $86 million, +10%
Beef + BVM: 115,308 mt, +7%, $702 million, +4%
January – March 2020:
Beef: 253,885 mt, +11%, $1.804 billion, +8%
BVM: 80,818 mt, +4%, $252 million, +8%
Beef + BVM: 334,703 mt, +9%, $2.056 billion, +8%
U.S. beef muscle cut exports were the highest for the month of March in 2020 (and were the highest since last July) at 87,624 mt, up 8% or +6,300 mt from last year. Beef muscle cut export growth was led by Asia and Canada in March, with higher exports compared to last year for Japan (+5,400 mt), Canada (+2,000 mt), Korea (+1,910 mt), ASEAN (+680 mt), Taiwan (+580 mt), the Middle East (+200 mt), Central America (+180 mt), South America (+120 mt), and Africa (+50 mt). Exports were lower to Mexico (-2,000 mt), China/HK (-1,600 mt), the EU (-730 mt), and the Caribbean + DR (-530 mt). Exports to Japan (26,985 mt, +25%) were the third highest since BSE after July and August 2018. Exports to Korea were also strong again in March at 21,394 mt, +10%. Exports to Mexico (9,039 mt, -18%) were the lowest since Feb 2016 on the weaker peso and stronger U.S. round prices, but exports to Canada (8,580 mt, +30%) were up significantly from last March’s low level. Exports to Taiwan (5,725 mt, +11%) maintained momentum, and March was the sixth largest monthly volume on record. Combined exports to China/HK were down 26% at 4,427 mt. Along with Feb 2020, exports to HK (3,953 mt, -29%) were the lowest since 2012. Exports to China (474 mt, +13%) were higher year-over-year, but were the lowest since that month last March. Export strength to the ASEAN continued, with the second largest monthly volume to Indonesia (1,506 mt, +54%) and higher exports to the Philippines (1,333 mt, +9%) and Vietnam (850 mt, +33%) as well. In South America, exports were higher to Chile (704 mt, +5%) but were lower to Colombia (260 mt, -21%). Exports to Guatemala (631 mt, +23%) were the fourth highest on record, but exports to the DR (492 mt, -34%) were lower. Exports to the UAE (465 mt) were steady, while exports to Kuwait held at February’s relatively high level (334 mt, +127%).
March beef variety meat export volume was up 5% or +1,300 mt from 2019 to 27,684 mt. Higher exports to Africa (+2,700 mt), Mexico (+2,500 mt), ASEAN (+480 mt), Canada (+330 mt), Caribbean + DR (+220 mt), Korea (+50 mt), and the surrounding Russia region (+20 mt) outweighed lower exports to the Middle East (-2,800 mt), Japan (-1,300 mt), China/HK (-750 mt), South America (-140 mt), and Central America (-30 mt). Beef variety meat exports to Mexico (9,016 mt, +39%) were above year-ago levels for the ninth month in March and were higher to Canada (1,022 mt, +48%) but were lower year-over-year to some other top markets in March including Egypt (4,402 mt, -39%), Japan (3,583 mt, -27% and the lowest since Feb 2018), Hong Kong (1,268 mt, -37% but the highest since last May), and Korea (1,214 mt, +5%). South Africa (2,349 mt, +621%) was the big growth market in March, with the second highest volume since the market opened after 2,530 mt in June 2017. Beef variety meat exports were also significantly higher to Gabon (579 mt, +715% and the third highest on record) and Cote d’Ivoire (363 mt, +282% and the highest since October 2018) in March. In the ASEAN, exports were higher to Indonesia (1,210 mt, +84%) but were lower to the Philippines (464 mt, -16%). Exports were lower year-over-year to the main South American markets: Peru (458 mt, -26%), Chile (255 mt, -17% but the highest since last May), and Colombia (196 mt, -3%). For the Caribbean, exports set a new record to Trinidad and Tobago (257 mt, +154%) but slowed to top market Jamaica (229 mt, -8%).
For January – March, total beef/bvm exports were up 27,000 mt from last year with increases to Japan (+8,700 mt), Korea (+7,800 mt), Canada (+5,000 mt), Africa (+3,900 mt), Mexico (2,300 mt), Taiwan (+2,300 mt), ASEAN (+1,900 mt), South America (+880 mt), Central America (+670 mt), the EU (+240 mt), the Caribbean + DR (+80 mt), and the surrounding Russia region (+30 mt). Exports were lower year-over-year to China/HK (-4,800 mt) and the Middle East (-1,800 mt).
March beef exports accounted for 11.3% of production and 13.9% when adding variety meats, as compared to 12.0% and 14.8% in March 2019. January – March exports accounted for 11.4% of beef production and 14.0% when adding variety meats, up from 11.2% and 13.9% last year.
March beef export value per head of fed slaughter averaged $308.21/head, down $27.62/head or -8% from $335.83/head for March 2019. January – March export value per head averaged $317.06/head, up $4.80/head or +2% from $312.26/head last year.
SOURCE: USMEF
