January 13, 2017

 

 

The US' total dairy export volume in the second half of 2016 through November was up 15% year-on-year, as global markets improved during this period and as Europe and Oceania saw milk production declines.

 

In November alone, overall US export value hit $429 million, up 14% from the same month in 2015. US dairy exporters shipped 168,706 tonnes of milk powders, cheese, butterfat, whey and lactose, the most in 18 months and topping year-ago levels for the sixth straight month.

 

USDEC said that during the latest five-month period, exports of nonfat dry milk/skim milk powder (NDM/SMP) were up 25%, while those of dry whey were up 36%, whey protein concentrate (WPC) were up 28% and whey protein isolate (WPI) were up 39%.

 

Exports of NDM/SMP to Southeast Asia were up 68% (+40,000 tonnes) compared with the year before, led by a surge in sales to the Philippines (+16,726 tonnes) and Indonesia (+15,178 tonnes). In addition, shipments to Vietnam and Malaysia increased 53% (+10,445 tonnes).

 

Exports of NDM/SMP to Mexico also increased, by 11% (+12,000 tonnes).

 

Exports of dry whey to China nearly tripled (+25,000 tonnes) and of WPC, also to China, increased 32% (+15,000 tonnes).

Whey protein concentrate

 

Exports of WPC to Southeast Asia likewise increased (43% or +6,000 tonnes), led by Malaysia. Those of lactose to the region increased 29% (+9,000 tonnes).

 

Cheese exports finally moved above year-ago levels in October; in the latest two months, US cheese shipments were up 7%.

 

Cheese shipments to South Korea started to climb following a year-and-a-half slump. In the September-November period they totalled 10,994 tonnes, up 24% (+2,113 tonnes) compared with the previous year,

 

In October-November, US cheese exports to Mexico also increased, by 21% (+2,859 tonnes) to 16,205 tonnes from the previous year.