January 10, 2025

 

Australia's beef exports hit record last year at 1.34 million tonnes

 

 

 

Australian beef exports have officially hit an all-time annual record in 2024, reaching 1.34 million tonnes.

 

The new benchmark (1,343,568 tonnes, to be exact) exceeds the two previous high-points of 1.22 million tonnes and 1.23 million tonnes set in 2015 and 2016 – both driven by drought-fuelled cattle turnoff at the time.

 

Helping secure the new record annual shipment volume was a high December export trade, which hit an in-month record of 127,393 tonnes. December and January are normally quiet months for Australian beef export activities as weather often bears an influence and many processors take their annual holiday breaks.

 

However, last month proved to be the exception, with December 2024 registering the third highest monthly volume all year, exceeded only by October (+130,000 tonnes) and July (+129,000 tonnes).

 

Some of the unusual late surge in trade was due to shipments being made in advance of Safeguard Tariff adjustments due to take place from January 1 – specifically in South Korea and China where market protection tariffs leapt due to unusually large shipments earlier in the year.

 

Driven in part by stronger international demand, the 2024 record export tonnage was up by 261,000 tonnes or 24% on 2023's volume.

 

- Beef Central

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