Pork Highlights
April 2023:

Pork: 196,097 mt, +10%; $547 million, +7%
PVM: 47,692 mt, +39%; $113 million, +27% and the ninth highest on record
Pork + PVM: 243,789 mt, +14.5%; $660 million, +10%

January – April 2023:

Pork: 765,450 mt, +9%, $2.165 billion, +11.5%
PVM: 195,030 mt, +37%; $459 million, +24%
Pork + PVM: 960,480 mt, +14%; $2.624 billion, +13%

April pork muscle cut exports totaled 196,097 mt, up 10% or +17,623 mt from last year. Exports were higher to Korea (+6,200 mt), China/HK (+3,810 mt), Aus/NZ (+3,770 mt), Mexico (+3,070 mt), ASEAN (+2,320 mt), Caribbean + DR (+1,630 mt), Taiwan (+1,420 mt), and Canada (+190 mt), while exports were lower to South America (-3,380 mt), Japan (-820 mt), Central America (-610 mt), and EU27 + UK (-60 mt). Exports to Korea (20,600 mt, +43%) were at the highest level since April 2019, while exports to Japan (32,900 mt, -2%) were lower year-over-year, but at the highest level since last April. Combined exports to China/HK totaled 18,540 mt with exports to China (18,070 mt, +26.5%) reaching the highest level so far this year and exports to Hong Kong (470 mt, +4%) were also higher year-over-year. Exports to Singapore (180 mt, -19%) and Vietnam (170 mt, -57%) were lower year-over-year, while exports to Malaysia (810 mt, up from 20 mt) were the highest level on record and exports to the Philippines (2,740 mt, up significantly) were the highest level since October, bringing exports to ASEAN (3,950 mt, +142%) to the highest level since August. Exports to Taiwan (1,590 mt, up from 170 mt) were the highest since October 2020. Exports to Mexico (69,540 mt, +5%) and Canada (13,620 mt, +1%) were above year-ago levels. Exports to the Caribbean + DR (11,690 mt, +16%) were the third highest level on record, driven by exports to the Dominican Republic (10,020 mt, +15%), which were the fourth highest level on record, and above year-ago exports to Trinidad and Tobago (340 mt, +2%), Netherlands Antilles (320 mt, +117%), the Leeward-Windward Islands (230 mt, +46%), and Barbados (100 mt, +21%). Exports to El Salvador (1,520 mt, +68%) were the highest level on record and exports to Honduras (4,330 mt, +6%) were the seventh highest level on record, while exports were below year-ago levels to Guatemala (1,790 mt, -1.5%), Nicaragua (770 mt, -13%), Costa Rica (580 mt, -47%), and Panama (190 mt, -81.5%), bringing exports to Central America (9,210 mt, -6%) lower year-over-year. Exports to South America (7,120 mt, -32%) were below year-ago levels with exports to Colombia (5,540 mt, -41%) at the lowest level since September 2020, but exports to Chile (1,310 mt, +63%) were higher year-over-year. Combined exports to Aus/NZ totaled 6,640 mt (+131%) and were the highest level since June 2021, with exports to Australia (5,960 mt, +150%) at the highest level since April 2021 and exports to New Zealand (680 mt, +40%) at the highest level since September 2021. Exports to EU27 + UK (170 mt, -25%) were lower year-over-year, but were the highest since last April.

April pork variety meat exports totaled 47,692 mt, +39% or +13,290 mt from last year. Exports were higher to China/HK (+7,900 mt), Mexico (+3,370 mt), ASEAN (+1,190 mt), Canada (+510 mt), South America (+390 mt), Caribbean + DR (+320 mt), Taiwan (+130 mt), and Korea (+100 mt), while exports were lower to Japan (-340 mt) and Central America (-70 mt). Exports to China (28,590 mt, +38%), Korea (730 mt, +15%), and Taiwan (140 mt, up from 10 mt) were above year-ago levels, while exports to Japan (630 mt, -35%) were below year-ago levels, but were the highest level since October.

Exports to the Philippines (2,540 mt, +64%) posted another large month and holds the second highest level on record, helping to bring exports to the ASEAN (2,740 mt, +76.5%) above year-ago levels and to the highest level since October 2019 (not including last months large total). Exports to Canada (1,750 mt, +41%) were at the highest level since July 2020 and exports to Mexico (10,670 mt, +46%) were also above year-ago levels, but were the lowest level since September. Exports to the Dominican Republic (590 mt, +154%) were the sixth highest level on record, helping to bring exports to the Caribbean + DR (780 mt, +70%) above year-ago levels and to the highest level since January 2014 (not including last month’s large total). Exports to Colombia (670 mt, +66%) were the eighth highest level on record and exports to Chile (110 mt, +220%) were higher year-over-year, bringing exports to South America (890 mt, +76%) above year-ago levels. Exports to Guatemala (360 mt, +6%) were the highest level since October, while exports were steady to El Salvador (60 mt) and exports to Honduras (100 mt, -51%) and Panama (50 mt, -40%) were lower year-over-year, bringing exports to Central America (630 mt, -10%) below year-ago levels.

January – April pork muscle cut + pork variety meat exports totaled 960,480 mt, up 14% or +117,676 mt from last year. Exports were higher to China/HK (+42,300 mt), Mexico (+33,190 mt), Caribbean + DR (+16,140 mt), ASEAN (+8,110 mt), Korea (+7,410 mt), Canada (+6,380 mt), Aus/NZ (+5,720 mt), and Taiwan (+2,530 mt), while exports were lower to South America (-2,670 mt), Japan (-2,150 mt), Central America (-250 mt), and EU27 + UK (-200 mt).

April pork exports accounted for 27.7% of pork production and 32.0% when including variety meats, compared to 24.3% and 26.9% for April 2022. January – April 2023 pork exports accounted for 24.9% of production and 29.1% when including variety meats, compared to 23.0% and 25.8% for January – April 2022.

April 2023 pork export value per head averaged $67.56/head, up $7.98/head or +13% from $59.58/head in April 2022. January – April 2023 pork export value per head averaged $61.96/head, up $6.48/head or +12% from $55.48/head for January – April 2022.

SOURCE: USMEF