Pork Highlights
January 2021:

Pork: 208,234 mt, -11%, $551 million, -15%
PVM: 40,422 mt, +2%, $91 million, +3.5%
Pork + PVM: 248,656 mt, -9%, $643 million, -13%

January pork muscle cut exports totaled 208,234 mt, down 11% or -26,000 mt from last January. Compared to last year, pork muscle cut exports were higher to Central America (+4,000 mt), the Caribbean + DR (+1,800 mt), the ASEAN (+1,800 mt), Japan (910 mt), and the EU (+5 mt), while exports were lower to China/HK (-24,550 mt), Mexico (-4,200 mt), Australia/New Zealand (-4,100 mt), Canada (-730 mt), South America (-470 mt), Taiwan (-260 mt), Korea (-80 mt), Russia region (-22 mt), and Africa (-5 mt). Exports to Mexico (54,059 mt, -7%) were lower year-over-year but were still the sixth highest monthly volume since the start of 2019. Exports to China/HK totaled 51,727 mt, down 32% from last year. Exports to China (50,814 mt, -32%) were the lowest since October and exports to Hong Kong (913 mt, -53%) were the lowest since February 2019. Exports to Japan (31,949 mt, +3%) were higher year-over-year for the fifth consecutive month. Exports were lower to Canada (16,404 mt, -4%). Although exports were slightly lower than last year to Korea (15,489 mt, -1%), they were at the highest level since last May. Exports to Australia (7,065 mt, -32%) rebounded to the highest level since last March but were still lower year-over-year, and exports were also lower to New Zealand (701 mt, -40%). Exports were higher than last January to Colombia (6,310 mt, +6%) but lower to Chile (2,559 mt, -17%). Exports to the Dominican Republic (5,190 mt, +60%) were the second highest on record (after 5,324 mt in May 2018). January volumes to Central America were strong, with significantly higher exports compared to last year to most markets in the region and new records to Guatemala and Costa Rica: Honduras (3,484 mt, +63%), Guatemala (2,319 mt, +95% and record large), Panama (1,740 mt, +112%), Nicaragua (1,155 mt, +40%), Costa Rica (1,010 mt, +35% and record large), and El Salvador (827 mt, +6%). Exports to the Philippines (3,293 mt, +172%) remained strong, but exports to Vietnam (367 mt, -40%) slowed to the lowest level since 2019. Exports to Taiwan (435 mt, -37%) slowed to the lowest level since December 2019. Exports to the Bahamas (411 mt, +19%) slowed from December but were still higher year-over-year.

January pork variety meat exports totaled 40,422 mt, up 2% or up 810 mt from last January. Compared to last year, pork variety meat exports were higher to China/HK (+3,750 mt), South America (+730 mt), and Australia/New Zealand (+170 mt), but exports were lower to Mexico (-2,500 mt), Korea (-320 mt), Canada (-290 mt), Caribbean + DR (-260 mt), ASEAN (-200 mt), Japan (-150 mt), Central America (-55 mt), Taiwan (-50 mt).

American Pork & Variety Meat Export Value in January 2021

American Pork & Variety Meat Export Volume in January 2021

Combined exports to China/HK totaled 24,475 mt, up 18% from last year. Exports were higher to China (24,029 mt, +39%) but lower to Hong Kong (446 mt, -87%). Exports to Mexico (9,698 mt, -20%) were lower year-over-year but were the highest since October. Exports to the Philippines (1,446 mt, +22%) remained strong, but exports to Vietnam (74 mt, -85%) were slow for the third consecutive month. Exports were lower year-over-year to Canada (1,347 mt, -18%) but were the highest since September. Pork variety meat exports to Chile (1,065 mt, +328%) were over 1,000 mt for the 5th consecutive month, but exports were lower to Colombia (314 mt, -5%). Exports were also lower to Korea (390 mt, -45%), Japan (383 mt, -28%), Guatemala (271 mt, -24%), and Taiwan (112 mt, -31%).

January pork and pork variety meat exports totaled 248,656 mt, down 9% or -25,000 mt from last January. Exports were higher to Central America (+3,950 mt), ASEAN (+1,600 mt), the Caribbean + DR (+1,600 mt), Japan (+750 mt), and South America (+270 mt), while exports were lower to China/HK (-21,000 mt), Mexico (-6,700 mt), Australia/NZ (-3,900 mt), Canada (-1,000 mt), Korea (-400 mt), Taiwan (-310 mt), and the EU (-40 mt).

January pork exports accounted for 25.4% of pork production and 28.2% when including variety meats as compared to 27.4% and 29.8% for January 2020.

January 2021pork export value per head averaged $57.14/head, down $5.39/head or -9% from $62.53/head in January 2020.

SOURCE: USMEF