Thanks To China, May Beef Exports Struggled

Exports of U.S. beef to China saw dramatic declines in May due to both tariff and non-tariff trade issues.

The real issue around the beef side is that the vast majority of our plant establishments are not listed in the registration system, so it doesn't really matter what the duties are," said U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom.  "So the bottom line here is this just heightens the overall strategy, the diversification of markets and expansion into new markets.”

China Fell Flat, But The Rest Of Asia Stepped Up

Overall, beef exports were down about 12% for the month of May, to 97,000 metric tons, much of that because of China.  However, the news isn’t all bad.

“The bright news is that some of the other Asian markets really stepped up," Halstrom noted.  "Korea came in at about 25,200 tons. That represents 40% growth year-on-year. It is the highest volume month in two years, since March of 2023. And on the value side, at about $233 million. that is the largest value month for Korea since June of 2022.”

Pork Reports A Similar Story To Beef

On the pork side, Halstrom says exports were down about 11% in May, again primarily due to trade issues with China.  But Latin American continues to shine.  Mexico reported 7% year-over-year growth, Central America reported 26% year-over-year growth, while Colombia reported a 30% jump from 2024’s pork figures.

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