February 18, 2009
US beef imports fall for the fourth consecutive year
US imported 2.538 billion pounds of beef in 2008, down 17 percent on-year from 3.052 billion pounds, according to data from the USDA's Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook.
The decrease in imports was mainly due to large supplies of processing beef from high US cow slaughter and a weak US dollar, which made foreign products more expensive.
Beef imports from Australia fell 25 percent to 663 million pounds, as a strong Australian dollar and robust global demand limited the amount of shipments to the US.
Imports from Uruguay declined sharply from 355 million pounds in 2007 to 66 million pounds in 2008, as the EU and Russia provided better market opportunities for Uruguayan beef.
Imports from Canada, the top US supplier in 2008, grew 7 percent, while imports from New Zealand also increased due to increased supplies of processing beef.
US beef imports this year are expected to grow 6 percent to 2.68 billion pounds. However, a strong US dollar and sufficient domestic supplies are projected to continue into this year, while lower demand in new and emerging markets may leave many foreign suppliers with fewer exporting alternatives other than the US.
