July 27, 2007

Singapore increases its June beef imports by 16 percent

Singapore has increased its June beef imports by 1,551 tonnes slaughterweight (swt) or 16 percent on-year due to export increases from Australia (by 94 percent), New Zealand (by 7 percent) and Brazil (by 6 percent). Total beef imports over the calendar year to June also jumped 17 percent compared with 2006, to 10,354 tonnes swt.

The country's imports of Australian beef in the first half increased by 93 percent to 2,020 tonnes swt - including a 14 percent rise in chilled shipments (to 701 tonnes swt) and a 206 percent jump in frozen beef (to 1,319 tonnes swt). Over the same period, imports of Australian beef accounted for 20 percent of total Singapore beef imports, compared with 12 percent the previous year.

New Zealand imports over the six months soared 29 percent to 1,236 tonnes swt in June compared with the same period last year. Kiwi beef accounts 12 percent of Singapore's total beef exports. Chilled New Zealand beef

 imports into the market climbed 1 percent (to 421 tonnes swt), while imports of frozen New Zealand beef grew 51 percent (to 815 tonnes swt).

US beef also increased from 79 tonnes from January- June 2006 to 122 tonnes this year, with 93 percent being chilled products as well as the weakening US dollar.

Brazil continued to be the largest supplier of low priced beef in Singapore, with imports from this market over the first half of 2007 reaching 6,942 tonnes swt, up 6 percent from the previous year. Brazil supplied 67 percent of total import demand in Singapore during the period.