September 30, 2014

Canada: Beef exports from Australia more than double on-year

Australian beef exports to Canada continue to climb, with 24,331 tonnes slaughter weight received this year, up 109% on-year.

The annual Australian quota is 35,000 tonnes swt. Not constrained by quotas, the United States is the only larger source of beef entering Canada.

The increase in Australian exports comes on the back of a two-decade low domestic Canadian cattle herd. As of July 1, total cattle numbers were 13.33 million head. Over the past decade cattle slaughter has also declined, from 4.45 million head in 2004 to 3.04 million head in 2013, with a forecast 3.01 million head for 2014.

Over the same period, Canadian beef imports have increased 131% to 173,767 tonnes swt in 2013.

With the United States also facing low cattle inventories, Canadian beef imports, and imported beef prices, have continued their upward trend year-on-year each month up until August.