August 9, 2010

Australian beef exports to Japan pick up in July

After two months of significant on-year declines, Australian beef exports to Japan during July picked up some momentum, totalling 32,338 tonnes swt, a 2% decrease on-year.

May and June shipments to Japan were down 10% and 14% on-year, respectively, largely due to slower than expected demand during Golden Week holidays (series of public holidays in late April/early May), and cautious buying by Japanese importers.

While beef demand remained subdued during July, Japanese importers focused on securing product that has been in consistent demand, such as Australian frozen grass and grainfed beef. As a result, frozen beef shipments to Japan during July were up 4% on-year, to 17,831 tonnes, while chilled exports declined 8% over the same period, reflecting tough market conditions for higher value cuts.