December 16, 2004

US Pork Exports Break Record Set in 2003

US pork (including variety meat) exports have already broken the record set in 2003, even though only statistics from the first ten months of 2004 are available. From Jan-Oct, US pork (including variety meat) exports were 34 percent higher in volume (819,964 mt) compared with the same period of 2003, and 38 percent higher in value at $1.789 billion. For the whole of 2003, US pork (including variety meat) exports totaled 757,905 mt, valued at 1.582 billion.

US pork (including variety meat) exports to Japan were 12 percent higher in volume (258,663 mt) and 20 percent higher in value ($813.2 million), compared with the first 10 months of 2003. But Mexico retained the No.1 slot in tonnage. The US pork industry will thus celebrate a fifth successive record year in Mexico.

Exports to Mexico in the first ten months of 2004 have already exceeded the whole of the record-breaking 2003. US pork (including variety meat) exports to Mexico totaled 286,114 mt, more than 67,000 metric tons more than the whole of 2003. The value of US pork exports to Mexico has also set a new record ¡ª $445.7 million compared with $294.9 million for the whole of 2003.

US pork exports have also broken, or on track to break, records for exports to Canada, China and Taiwan.