American Beef Export Trade Stats: May 2020
Beef Highlights:
May 2020:
Beef: 62,123 mt, -31%, $427 million -34%
BVM: 17,157 mt, -38%, $53 million, -36%
Beef + BVM: 79,280 mt, -33%, $480 million, -34%
January – May 2020:
Beef: 394,095 mt, -1%, $2.765 billion, -5%
BVM: 118,501, -9%, $372 million, -6%
Beef + BVM: 512,596 mt, -3%, $3.137 billion, -5%
Beef muscle cut exports were up 11% in the first quarter of 2020 and were down 3% year-over-year in April. Beef muscle cut exports slowed further in May (even as production rebounded slightly from April) on continued tight production levels and record high prices and were down 31% year-over-year (or -28,000 mt) at 62,123 mt. May exports were higher to China/HK (+2,250 mt), but were lower to other destinations: Mexico (-9,400 mt), Japan (-6,300 mt), Korea (-4,700 mt), Taiwan (-1,900 mt), Canada (-1,800 mt), South America (-1,200 mt), the EU (-1,100 mt), Caribbean + DR (-1,100 mt), Middle East (-1,050 mt), ASEAN (-1,000 mt), and Central America (-510 mt). Exports to China/HK (8,938 mt, +33%) were the highest since December with higher exports to both Hong Kong (7,335 mt, +19%) and China (1,603 mt, +195%) in May. Exports to China were the second highest since the market opened after last December. Mexico was the most severely affected market (2,604 mt, -78%) in May (with record high chuck/round prices, the weak peso, and lockdowns) with exports at the lowest level since the first few months after BSE. Exports were down from recent high levels but held up relatively well to Japan (17,894 mt, -26%), Korea (17,335 mt, -21%), Canada (7,031 mt, -21%) and Taiwan (3,999 mt, -32%). Exports were lower to the ASEAN markets: Indonesia (685 mt, -21%), Philippines (552 mt, -32%), Vietnam (448 mt, -37%), and Singapore (117 mt, -48%), but exports to Indonesia increased from April (263 mt) to May, while exports to the other markets slowed further in May. Exports were lower to the main markets in Latin America: Chile (372 mt, -65%), Guatemala (198 mt, -45%), and the Dominican Republic (122 mt, -76%). Exports decreased to the Bahamas (135 mt, -51%), but actually increased to Trinidad and Tobago (90 mt, +58%). Exports slowed to Kuwait (122 mt, -53%).
May beef variety meats totaled 17,157 mt, down 38% or -10,700 mt from last year. Exports to Africa (+1,300 mt) and Canada (+90 mt) were higher than last year, while exports were lower to Mexico (-3,900 mt), Middle East (-3,650 mt), Japan (-3,400 mt), ASEAN (-500 mt), China/HK (-340 mt), Caribbean + DR (-190 mt), South America (-80 mt), Korea (-30 mt), and Central America (-30 mt).
After being up over 20,000 mt through April, January – May total beef and variety meat exports were down 17,500 mt from last year. Exports were higher to Africa (+7,100 mt), Canada (6,300 mt), Japan (+6,100 mt), Taiwan (+400 mt), and the Russia region (+40 mt), while exports were steady to Korea and Central America. Exports were lower to Mexico (-20,100 mt), the Middle East (-8,900 mt), the Caribbean + DR (-2,750 mt), China/HK (-1,900 mt), the EU (-1,400 mt), the ASEAN (-1,300 mt), and South America (-1,100 mt). Exports dropped sharply to top markets Mexico (4,385 mt, -47%), Egypt (2,455 mt, -60%), and Japan (2,092 mt, -62%). Higher exports to South Africa (1,726 mt, +51%) led the growth for the African region. Exports to South Africa were the 7th largest monthly total since the market opened, and year-to-date exports are on a record pace. May exports were also higher to Angola (381 mt, +711%), Gabon (214 mt, +61%), Cote d’Ivoire (193 mt, up from 0 mt), and Ethiopia (99 mt, up from 0 mt). Exports to Peru (871 mt, +25%) were the highest since 2017, but exports were lower to Chile (159 mt, -40%). Exports to Canada (676 mt, +15%) slowed to the lowest level since January but were higher year-over-year. Exports were lower to other main destinations: Hong Kong (1,062 mt, -28%), Korea (984 mt, -3%), Indonesia (674 mt, -24%), Jamaica (337 mt, -5%), and the Philippines (92 mt, -77%).
May beef exports accounted for 10.5% of production and 12.5% when adding variety meats, as compared to 12.0% and 14.6% in May 2019. January – May exports accounted for 11.6% of beef production and 14.1% when adding variety meats, up from 11.3% and 14.0% last year.
May beef export value per head of fed slaughter averaged $282.48/head, down $30.37/head or -10% from $312.85/head for May 2019. January – May export value per head averaged $318.87/head, up $7.86/head or +3% from $311.01/head last year.
Source: USMEF
