September 6, 2012
Australia's beef and veal exports decline 0.5% on-year in August, to 81,257 tonnes, due to tough economic conditions and the relatively tight beef production throughout the past month.
According to Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, competition in North Asia, accentuated by sluggish demand and the high AUD have sustained the pressure upon Australian beef to Japan and Korea, while in contrast, exports continue to rise to the US. Exports for the first eight months of 2012, when compared to the corresponding period last year, are still up 0.3%, at 613,425 tonnes.
Meat and Livestock Australia reports that exports to Japan for August were down 4.8% on-year, at 28,454 tonnes, largely matching the 4.6% decline in shipments for the first eight months of 2012. Shipments to Korea (11,139 tonnes) declined 8.7% on-year, taking total exports so far in 2012 to 70,451 tonnes - down 27.4% on the same period in 2011.
Strong demand and favourable prices continued to underpin larger volumes to the US, with August shipments reaching 16,641 tonnes - up 19.5% on-year. Indeed, the US remains Australia's fastest growing market in 2012, with exports for January to August up 37.5% on-year, at 151,797 tonnes.
Records continue to be broken into China, with July's record shipment (1,065 tonnes) being surpassed with 1,572 tonnes in August, almost double the corresponding period in 2011. Total shipments to China for the eight months to August are 34.4% above last year, to 5,685 tonnes.
Taiwan (3,656 tonnes) and Singapore (1,357 tonnes) recorded on-year increases of 17.7% and 93.5% respectively during August, with total exports for the year to date 10% and 62% higher respectively. Additionally, exports to the Middle East continue to remain robust, with shipments for August up 32% on-year, taking shipments for the eight months of 2012 to 19,706 tonnes.
Exports to Indonesia were down 67.5% on-year, with 1,094 tonnes shipped from Australia in August. Russia followed a similar trend, down 41.5% on-year, to 3,127 tonnes.
