Total US beef exports were up slightly in February on a year-over-year basis with a 4-percent increase in volume and also an increase just under 1 percent in value, according to the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

 

The trend, however, was the reverse of the pork model with beef muscle cut exports increasing nine percent while variety meat declined slightly.

 

USMEF president and chief executive officer Philip Seng said that the slumping currencies in both Mexico and Canada have been affecting US beef exports to those two markets, but said that situation is starting to improve.

 

Seng said that they are also seeing some impact from the declining volume of live cattle imports from those two countries, which is increasing their own domestic beef supplies.

 

Increased beef exports to South Korea and Vietnam helped overcome declines in the beef industry's leading markets of Mexico and Canada.

 

February beef and beef variety meat exports increased 4 percent in volume at 66,155 tonnes and showed a slight increase in value of US$220.5 million over February 2008.

 

Contrary to the trend in pork exports, beef muscle cut exports increased by 9 percent in volume to 40,964 tonnes and 7 percent in value to 172.9 million, while beef variety meat exports dropped slightly in volume to 25,191 tonnes and declined nearly 17 percent in value to US$47.6 million.

 

Year-to-date, beef muscle cut exports have increased 11 percent in both volume and value over the same period last year, while variety meat exports have declined 11 percent in volume and 20 percent in value.

 

Beef exports to Korea slumped near the end of 2008, with December results totalling 3,335 tonnes valued at US$15.2 million, but the New Year has seen a rebound in exports to Korea, with the January-February monthly average now standing at 6,550 tonnes with an average value of 24.9 million.

 

This places Korea third among all destinations for US beef trailing only Mexico and Canada in both volume and value.

 

Vietnam ranks fourth in volume and fifth in value for US beef and beef variety meat exports, with year-to-date exports to Vietnam doubling in volume over 2008 to 10,972 tonnes and increasing 174 percent in value to US$36.2 million.

 

Japan continues its steady rise as a destination for US beef exports, with 2009 totals through February increasing by 19 percent in volume to 8,056 tonnes and 17 percent in value to US$43.3 million.

 

The strong performance of these markets helped offset a slowdown in exports to Mexico, Canada and Taiwan.

 

Though Mexico and Canada have held their position as the top two destinations for US beef, year-to-date exports to Mexico have declined 22 percent in volume to 51,238 tonnes and 17 percent in value to US$179.1 million.

 

Export volume to Canada declined 14 percent to 18,116 tonnes and by 22 percent in value to US$73.1 million. Beef exports to Taiwan have dropped even more sharply, declining by 29 percent in volume to 2,750 tonnes and 28 percent in value to US$13.3 million.

 

While consumers in some global markets are grading down in terms of the US beef cuts they are purchasing, Seng noted that customers in Taiwan are not as well-positioned to do that because of market access limitations.