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July pork exports surged to 233,242 metric tons (mt), up 32% year-over-year and topping the previous record from April 2018. Export value was $623.3 million, up 34% and breaking the previous high reached in November 2017. These results pushed January-July exports 2% ahead of last year’s pace at 1.48 million mt while value was down 2% at $3.77 billion.
Pork export value averaged $58.92 per head slaughtered in July, up 22% from a year ago and the highest in five years. January-July export value averaged $51.33 per head, down 5% from the same period last year. July exports accounted for 29.3% of total U.S. pork production (up from 24.7% a year ago and the highest since April 2018) and 25.9% for muscle cuts only (up from 21.7% and the highest ratio in five years). For January through July, exports accounted for 26.3% of total pork production and 22.9% for muscle cuts (down from 27% and 23.3%, respectively, a year ago).
Exports to China/Hong Kong
Although held back by China’s retaliatory duties on U.S. pork, exports to China/Hong Kong contributed mightily to the July volume and value records. Exports to the region were a record 68,657 mt in July, more than tripling from a year ago, while value climbed 173% to a record $152.5 million. For January through July, exports to China/Hong Kong were up 23% in volume (292,666 mt) and 3% in value ($580.3 million). China’s hog prices soared to record levels in August, and retail pork and poultry prices are also trending sharply higher as China’s African swine fever-related hog shortage intensifies.
Friday September 6, 2019/ USMEF/ United States.
https://www.usmef.org
