February 15, 2021
 

US 2020 pork exports beat 2019 record by 11%

 

 

The United States' 2020 pork exports had beaten its 2019 record by 11%, having reached close to three million tonnes, according to data released by the United States Department of Agriculture and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

 

Pork export value also climbed 11% to a record US$7.71 billion.

 

"Obviously, the surge in demand from China, especially in the first half of 2020, was a driving force behind the record performance for US pork exports," said USMEF president and CEO Dan Halstrom. "But China was not the only success story in 2020, as exports achieved growth in a broad range of markets."

 

In the fourth quarter, exports to China/Hong Kong were down 9% from 2019 but shipments to the rest of the world nearly offset that slowdown.

 

December pork exports totaled 259,654 tonnes, down 8% from the very large year-ago volume, with value down 10% to US$687.2 million. December muscle cut exports were also down 8% at 219,224 tonnes, valued at US$590.2 million (down 11%). For the full year, pork muscle cut exports were record-large at 2.51 million tonnes, up 15% from 2019, valued at a record US$6.67 billion (up 12%).

 

Pork export value equated to US$59.87 per head slaughtered in December, down 10% from a year ago, but the full-year average of US$58.65 per head was 10% above 2019. December exports accounted for 28.8% of total pork production and 26.1% for muscle cuts, down from the December 2019 ratios of 32.1% and 29.3%, respectively. However, for the full year, exports accounted for a significantly higher percentage of both total pork production (29.3%, up from 26.9%) and muscle cuts (26.5%, up from 23.6%).

 

Pork exports to China/Hong Kong totaled 1.04 million tonnes in 2020, up 56% from a year ago, while value climbed 63% to US$2.37 billion. Shipments to the region accounted for about one-third of total US export volume, but this percentage declined later in the year as exports achieved more broad-based growth. While USMEF does not expect 2021 exports to China/Hong Kong to match the levels posted over the past year, the region will still have a strong need for imported pork.

 

Led by strong growth in Honduras and Nicaragua, exports to Central America topped the previous record set in 2019 by 1% in both volume (99,222 tonnes) and value (US$241.1 million). This marked the sixth consecutive year for record pork exports to the region.

 

While pork exports to South America were substantially lower in 2020, Chile emerged as a bright spot with surging fourth-quarter demand. Exports to Chile finished the year 16% higher at 49,828 tonnes, with value up 11% to US$135.6 million. US pork gained market share in Chile, as total imports were similar to 2019 but Chile’s exports surged, with more than 70% of its export volume bound for China. US exports to Colombia, the regions' largest destination for US pork, declined sharply due to COVID-19 restrictions and a slumping Colombian peso, but demand showed strong signs of recovery late in the year and in early 2021.

 

Strong demand in the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago pushed exports to the Caribbean 10% higher in volume (57,353 tonnes) and 5% higher in value (US$136.8 million). Trinidad and Tobago is the region's top destination for pork variety meats, with 2020 exports climbing 58% to a record 1,736 tonnes, valued at US$3.1 million (up 72%).

 

Despite a slow start to the year, exports to the Philippines were 15% higher in volume (46,665 tonnes) and jumped 24% in value (US$115 million), finishing just short of the record levels of 2018. Exports to Vietnam were record-large at 25,183 tonnes, up 82%, with value nearly tripling to US$54.4 million. It was also a record year for the ASEAN region, with exports up 28% in volume (77,149 tonnes) and 43% higher in value (US$186.3 million).

 

While pork exports to Mexico finished lower in both volume (688,253 tonnes, down 3%) and value (US$1.15 billion) compared to 2019, the market showed an impressive rebound late in the year. December exports increased 8% to 71,426 tonnes, the third consecutive month of year-over-year volume growth.

 

Pork exports to Japan also gained momentum in the fourth quarter (up 12%) as the US industry continued to capitalise on tariff relief provided in the US-Japan Trade Agreement. 2020 exports to Japan finished 5% higher than a year ago at 386,700 tonnes, with value up 6% to US$1.63 billion. US market share rebounded to 36% of Japan's total pork imports, up from a low of 31% in 2019.

 

- USMEF