Pork Highlights
September 2020:

Pork: 186,546 mt, +15%, $483 million, +7%
PVM: 35,929 mt, -10%, $80 million, -2%
Pork + PVM: 222,475 mt, +10%, $563 million, +6%

January – September 2020:

Pork: 1.870 million mt, +22%, $4.934 billion, +19%
PVM: 345,765 mt, -6%, $755 million, +4%
Pork + PVM: 2.216 million mt, +16%, $5.689 billion, +16%

September pork muscle cut exports were 186,546 mt, up 15% or +24,400 mt from last year. September exports were higher to China/HK (+12,700 mt), ASEAN (+5,100 mt), Canada (+3,700 mt), Japan (+3,100 mt), Taiwan (+1,900 mt), Mexico (+1,150 mt), and the Caribbean + DR (+440 mt), while exports were lower compared to last year for Korea (-2,100 mt), Australia/NZ (-820 mt), Central America (-790 mt), and South America (-290 mt). Mexico (47,898 mt, +2%) again surpassed China as the top destination for U.S. pork exports for the second consecutive month in September. Exports to China/HK (41,325 mt, +44%) were up 4% from August but were otherwise the lowest since last October. Exports direct to China (+39,537 mt, +49%) were up 3% from August but were otherwise the lowest since last October, while exports to Hong Kong (1,788 mt, -16%) were the highest since May. Exports to Japan (30,158 mt, +11%) were the highest since April, while exports to Canada (21,669 mt, +21%) were the highest since March (and otherwise were the highest since 2012). Exports to Korea (8,664 mt, -19%) remained steady with August’s slower volume. Although exports remained below last year, exports to Australia (6,160 mt, -12%) were the highest since May, while exports to New Zealand (926 mt, +3%) edged slightly lower from August but were above last year. Exports to the Philippines (4,543 mt, +41%) maintained momentum and were the largest since 2010 for the second consecutive month. Exports to Vietnam (4,224 mt, +1,803%) were the second largest after the record of 4,669 mt in August. Exports to Colombia (4,427 mt, -27%) were up 3% from August and were the highest since April but remained well below year-ago levels. Exports to Chile (2,761 mt, +128%) were also the highest since April, but exports to Peru (181 mt, -57%) remained slow. Exports to the Dominican Republic (2,737 mt, +14%) were up 10% from August, and exports were also higher year-over-year to the Bahamas (439 mt, +16%) and Trinidad and Tobago (288 mt, +28%). Exports were mixed compared to last year for Central America, but exports decreased from August to September for all Central American markets expect Panama: Honduras (2,638 mt, +0%), Panama (1,340 mt, +15%), Guatemala (795 mt, -48%), El Salvador (494 mt, -22%), and Costa Rica (327 mt, -8%). Exports to Taiwan (2,599 mt, +258%) were the second highest since 2010 after 2,647 mt in August.

Pork variety meat exports totaled 35,929 mt in September, down 4% from August and down 10% or -4,100 mt from last year.Exports were higher compared to last year for Central America (+340 mt), South America (+240 mt), Canada (+190 mt), Taiwan (+130 mt), and Caribbean + DR (+30 mt), while exports were lower year-over-year to Mexico (-2,300 mt), ASEAN (-1,450 mt), China/HK (-1,100 mt), Japan (-140 mt), and Korea (-120 mt). Exports to China/HK totaled 21,466 mt, down 3% from August and down 5% from last year. Exports just to China (21,170 mt, +20%) were down 1% from August, while exports to Hong Kong (296 mt, -94%) slowed further. Exports to Mexico (7,442 mt, -23%) were down 12% from August, but remained above the April/May lows.

U.S. Pork & Variety Meat Export Value in September 2020

U.S. Pork & Variety Meat Export Volume in September 2020

Exports were higher year-over-year to Canada (1,484 mt, +15%), but were lower to Japan (588 mt, -19%) and Korea (275 mt, -30%). Exports to Chile (1,298 mt, +45%) were the highest since last October and the 4th highest monthly volume on record, while exports to Colombia (300 mt, -26%) were lower in September. After rebounding in August, exports maintained their pace to the Philippines (1,175 mt, +3%), while exports to Vietnam (176 mt, -89%) slowed. Exports were higher to Panama (475 mt, +303%) and Honduras (165 mt, +112%) but were lower to Guatemala (327 mt, -18%). Exports to Trinidad and Tobago (179 mt, +616%) maintained their strong pace and will be record large this year.

January - September pork and variety meat exports totaled 2.216 million mt, up 16% or up 311,000 mt from last year. Exports were higher to China/HK (+393,000 mt), ASEAN (+16,200 mt), Canada (+9,900 mt), Japan (+5,800 mt), Caribbean + DR (+2,000 mt), Taiwan (+1,800 mt), Russia region (+810 mt), and Africa (+330 mt), while exports were lower year-over-year to Mexico (-38,900 mt), Korea (-35,000 mt), South America (-13,900 mt), Central America (-1,200 mt), and the EU (-750 mt).

September pork exports accounted for 23.9% of pork production and 26.5% when including variety meats as compared to 21.7% and 25.1% for September 2019. January – September pork exports accounted for 26.9% of pork production and 29.6% when adding variety meats, up from 22.8% and 26.3% for January – September 2019.

September pork export value per head averaged $51.07/head, up $1.08/head or +2% from $49.99/head last September. For January – September, pork export value per head slaughtered averaged $58.63/head, up $7.12/head or +14% from $51.51/ head last year.

SOURCE: USMEF