May 4, 2007

Australian beef exports to US higher in April

Australia has shipped 27, 110 tonnes slaughterweight (swt) of beef to US in April, registering a 20 percent jump as against year ago levels.

The increase was due to abundant Australian cow supplies with frozen cuts and manufacturing beef exports which rose to 16 percent to reach 23,597 tonnes.

Exports were also boosted by the strengthening demand for Australian chilled beef in the US which rose to 54 percent to reach a month high of 3,515 tonnes.

Since the discovery of mad cow disease in the US in December 2003 and the succeeding ban of US exports by its major trading partners, Australian beef to US have declined as exporters have responded to customer demands in North Asian markets. Compared with pre-mad cow levels (2003), Australian exports to the US in April were 9 percent lower.