Statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture indicate one of the highest monthly totals on record for American beef exports. Information compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation shows July beef exports were up nearly 5 percent from last year, at 104,488 metric tons.
Value also increased 18 percent from 2016, with an export value of $623.7 million. July was the highest valued month of beef exports since December 2014. Beef exports for the first seven months of the year showed an increase of 11 percent in volume and a 15 percent rise in value compared to the same time frame in 2016.
Exports accounted for 13.2 percent of total U.S. beef production in July. Export value per head of fed slaughter saw an increase of more than 13 percent compared to 2016, with an average of $299.21 for the month.
Japan was the leading market for American beef exports, accounting for over 26 percent of all exported beef. The volume of beef exported to Japan was the highest it has been in four years for the month of July. It also marked the largest monthly total since 1999, with exports valued at $175.7 million.
The period between January and July shows a similar pattern as 2016 for North America. Mexico was again the second-largest importer of American beef, increasing the quantity by 2 percent but dropping in value by 2 percent. Canada remained the fourth-largest market, with exports up 1 percent in volume and 4 percent in value.