Lower Beef Exports Reported In February

According to the U.S. Meat Export Federation, beef exports in February were down from 2024’s numbers.  Dan Halstrom, USMEF President and CEO, said a little over 98,000 tons were exported globally in February, a roughly 5% year-over-year drop.  Despite that decrease, Halstrom said several key markets reported solid performances.

“Korea was up a couple percent year-on-year. Canada is another country that there's a lot of talk about anti-U.S. sentiment possibly with what's going on politically between the countries, but you wouldn't know it from the stats - 8,400 tons exported in February, up about over 20% on the beef side. We're down significantly in China in February at 12,800 tons. But a lot of this is the result of the lack of approval of beef plant registrations in China. So, this is definitely a concern on the non-tariff trade barrier side of things.” 

When it comes to the elephant in the room, Halstrom said the current tariff tensions could provide another headwind.

“Obviously this is a real concern for USMEF and our industry and our members around the possible retaliation from trading partners. It is our hope that this will not happen, that things can get worked out in a relatively short order," Halstrom noted.  "But in the meantime, what we need to do, we USMEF and the industry, we need to keep our eye on the ball and continue to market U.S. beef and pork globally.”

Speaking of pork, Halstrom says pork exports were down about 4% in February, when compared to 2024 numbers, a drop in value of roughly 2%.

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