November 20, 2007

US September beef exports up 21 percent on-year

US exports of beef and veal cuts and beef in September variety meats totalled 66,958 tonnes, up 21.5 percent on-year but below 4.9 percent from August, figures from the US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) show.

Fresh, chilled beef exports equalled 26,896 tonnes, which was down 16.7 percent from the previous month but was up 10.8 percent over September 2006. Frozen beef exports equalled 11,811 tonnes, which was up 42.0 percent over the previous month and was up 152.1 percent over September 2006.

US exports of beef variety meats fell 5.8 percent from August to 25,915 tonnes but it was 8 percent up than September 2006. During the first three quarters of 2007, beef variety meat exports reached 221,798 million tonnes, 7.1 percent greater than a year ago. Mexico was the main buyer of US beef variety meats with 54.3 percent of the total, or 120,384 tonnes. US beef exports to Mexico during September totalled 27,128 tonnes, 17.7 percent less than the previous month. Total year-to-date beef exports to Mexico were 4.2 percent below a yearago, amounting to 262,596 tonnes. Mexico was the main US beef export market with 46.7 percent of the total.

Shipments to Canada also totalled 11,823 tonnes, posting a 1.4 percent increase than the previous month. Year-to-date beef exports to Canada equalled 93,200 tonnes, 30.9 percent more than last year. Total year-to-date beef exports to South Korea equalled 23,065 tonnes, compared to 151 tonnes a year ago. Overall, during the first three quarters of 2007, US total beef and veal and beef variety meat exports equalled 562,855 tonnes, 17.7 percent greater than the same period a year ago.