2018 beef exports record-large; pork export volume just short of 2017 record

Last year U.S. beef exports shattered the previous value record and achieved a new high for volume, according to year-end 2018 statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Pork export volume came up just short of the record set in 2017 while value slipped 1 percent year-over-year. U.S. lamb exports rebounded from a down year in 2017, largely due to stronger variety meat demand in Mexico.

Fueled by tremendous demand in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the ASEAN region, U.S. beef exports reached 1.35 million metric tons, up 7 percent from 2017 and exceeding the 2011 record by 5 percent. Export value soared to $8.33 billion, breaking the 2017 record by $1.06 billion—an increase of 15 percent. For December only, beef export volume was down slightly from a year ago to 112,777 metric tons, but value still increased 4 percent to $700.2 million.

Beef export value was also record-shattering on a per-head basis, averaging $323.14 per head of fed slaughter in 2018. This was a 13 percent increase over 2017 and exceeded the 2014 record by 8 percent. Beef exports accounted for 13.5 percent of total beef production in 2018 and 11.1 percent for muscle cuts, up from 12.9 percent and 10.4 percent, respectively, in 2017.

Despite significant headwinds, 2018 pork exports reached 2.44 million metric tons—just 0.5 percent below the 2017 record. Pork export value was $6.39 billion, down 1 percent year-over-year and the third-highest total on record, trailing only 2014 ($6.65 billion) and 2017 ($6.49 billion). For December only, pork exports were down 5 percent from a year ago to 209,780 metric tons, valued at $527.4 million (down 11 percent).

Pork export value averaged $51.37 per head slaughtered in 2018, down 4 percent year-over-year. Exports accounted for 25.7 percent of total pork production, down about one percentage point from 2017. The ratio was 22.5 percent when including only pork muscle cuts—up from 22.3 percent in 2017.

Korea accounts for half of the $1 billion surge in beef exports

While demand for U.S. beef showed remarkable strength throughout the world in 2018, no market exemplified this momentum more than South Korea. Exports to Korea increased 30 percent year-over-year in volume to 239,676 metric tons and jumped 43 percent in value to $1.75 billion—an increase of $526 million over the 2017 record and more than double the value total posted just three years ago. Chilled beef exports to Korea increased 19 percent to 53,823 metric tons and climbed 29 percent in value to a record $525 million, illustrating U.S. beef’s surging success in the Korean retail and foodservice sectors. U.S. beef accounted for 58 percent of Korea’s chilled beef imports in 2018.

“There may have been no greater ag trade success story in 2018 than U.S. beef exports to Korea,” said Dan Halstrom, USMEF president and CEO. “Less than a decade removed from street protests opposing the reopening of this market, Koreans now consume more U.S. beef per capita than any international destination. This is a testament to the U.S. beef industry’s strong commitment to the Korean market and the outstanding support received from the U.S. government – through both USDA promotional funding and the negotiation of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS), which has dramatically lowered import duties on U.S. beef.”

Since KORUS was implemented in 2012, the import duty rate on U.S. beef has declined from 40 to 18.7 percent and will fall to zero by 2026. U.S. beef’s main competitors also have free trade agreements with Korea but currently face higher duty rates than the U.S., including Australia (24 percent), Canada (26.6 percent) and New Zealand (26.6 percent).

Solid year for U.S. pork, but second-half exports pressured by retaliatory duties

Through May 2018, pork exports to leading volume market Mexico appeared to be headed for a seventh consecutive record, topping the 2017 pace by 6 percent. But May was the last month in which exports to Mexico would increase year-over-year, due to retaliatory duties imposed in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Export volume to Mexico held up relatively well, finishing the year at 777,143 metric tons—3 percent below the 2017 record. But export value took a bigger hit, declining 13 percent to $1.31 billion—the lowest since 2015. The decline in value from June through December was 24 percent, totaling $218 million, underscoring the large degree to which U.S. producers and exporters bore the cost of Mexico’s 20 percent retaliatory duty.

“The U.S. pork industry understands the vital importance of the Mexican market, and with strong industry support USMEF has intensified its efforts to retain as much of this business as possible,” Halstrom said. “This includes enhanced outreach in every sector, from large processors, to regional supermarkets, to specialty retailers and restaurant chains. While these efforts have been successful, the decline in export value clearly shows the negative impact these retaliatory duties have imposed on the U.S. pork supply chain.”

Retaliatory duties also impacted pork exports to China/Hong Kong, which fell 29 percent in volume (351,774 metric tons) and 21 percent in value ($851.7 million) compared to 2017. This included a 30 percent decline in pork variety meat volume to 225,414 (China/Hong Kong is the largest destination for U.S. pork variety meat). The corresponding dramatic decreases in values for feet and picnic hocks, combined with lower ham and picnic values, mean that retaliatory tariffs in China and Mexico resulted in lost value of $11.75 per head (or $860 million) from June through December 2018.

On the positive side, U.S. pork exports to Korea were record-shattering in 2018, soaring 40 percent year-over-year in volume (242,372 metric tons) and 41 percent in value ($670.3 million). Export value topped the previous record, set in 2011, by 35 percent as U.S. pork capitalized on Koreans’ surging pork consumption. Most U.S. pork now enters Korea duty-free under KORUS, making pork products more affordable and accessible and a perfect fit for Korean’s convenience-driven demand. Korea’s imports of U.S. pork variety meat jumped by 62 percent in volume (15,525 metric tons) and 68 percent in value ($45.9 million) as items such as bungs and feet made impressive gains.

U.S. lamb export volume largest since 2012

Mexico’s strong demand for U.S. lamb variety meat fueled a rebound in 2018 lamb exports, with combined lamb/lamb variety meat shipments climbing 77 percent in volume to 12,866 metric tons, the largest since 2012. Export value increased 19 percent to $23.4 million, the highest since 2014. While this was primarily driven by larger variety meat exports, lamb muscle cuts also achieved promising growth in the Caribbean, the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines. Japan and Taiwan are also potentially strong destinations, having reopened to U.S. lamb in 2018 and 2016, respectively.