July 18, 2022

US pork exports in May reached highest monthly volume since November

The United States' pork exports in May were 224,677 tonnes, down 21% from a year ago but the highest monthly volume since November, according to the US Meat Export Federation.

Export value was US$655.1 million, down 24% but also the highest since November. Through May, pork exports were down 20% from a year ago to 1.07 million tonnes, valued at just under US$3 billion (down 18%).

Pork exports to Mexico totaled 79,849 tonnes, up 12% from a year ago, while value climbed 13% to US$171.2 million.

Pork exports to the Dominican Republic set a new record in April (8,966 tonnes) and nearly matched that total in May, increasing 126% from a year ago to 8,518 tonnes. Export value was also just short of the April record, increasing 110% to US$21.2 million.

Following a record year in 2021, pork exports to Colombia started this year slowly but increased sharply in the second quarter. After a strong April, exports reached 9,710 tonnes in May (up 17% from a year ago), valued at US$21.9 million (up 10%).

China is the dominant destination for US pork variety meat, and exports showed an encouraging uptick in May. While still below last year, pork variety meat exports to China reached 24,159 tonnes in May, the largest since October and valued at US$67.3 million (the highest since July).

Through May, pork variety meat exports to China were down 21% from a year ago to 107,427 tonnes, with value falling 8% to US$304.1 million. This is due in part to China's COVID-19 testing and tracing restrictions, which have hurt importers' ability to profitably utilise imported pork variety meat.

Through May, total pork and pork variety meat exports to the China/Hong Kong region were down significantly from a year ago in both volume (396,934 tonnes, down 56%) and value (US$480.2 million, down 50%), as China's overall imports trended toward 2019 levels.

- USMEF