Pork Highlights
March 2023:

Pork: 208,024 mt, +13% and the highest since May 2021; $601 million, +16%
PVM: 52,171 mt, +35% and the sixth highest on record; $123 million, +25% and the fourth highest on record
Pork + PVM: 260,195 mt, +17% and the ninth highest on record; $724 million, +18% and the ninth highest on record

January – March 2023:

Pork: 569,353 mt, +9%, $1.618 billion, +13%
PVM: 147,338 mt, +37%; $346 million, +22.5%
Pork + PVM: 716,691 mt, +14%; $1.963 billion, +15%

March pork muscle cut exports totaled 208,024 mt, up 13% or 23,993 mt from last year. Exports were higher to Mexico (+8,790 mt), Caribbean + DR (+5,930 mt), Korea (+4,230 mt), Aus/NZ (+1,930 mt), Canada (+1,700 mt), Japan (+1,480 mt), China/HK (+1,020 mt), South America (+650 mt), and Taiwan (+280 mt), while exports were lower to Central America (-1,200 mt), ASEAN (-40 mt), and EU27 + UK (-30 mt). Exports to Mexico (82,340 mt, +12%) were the second highest level on record, only 240 mt below the record exports posted in January (82,580 mt) of this year. Exports to the Dominican Republic (12,480 mt, +84%) were record high, breaking the previous record (February 2023) by 2,100 mt, and exports to the Bahamas (490 mt, +2%), Trinidad and Tobago (350 mt, +51% and the highest level since March 2021), the Leeward-Windward Islands (310 mt, +33%), Netherlands Antilles (190 mt, +25%), and Barbados (80 mt, +29% and the highest level since September) were also higher year-over-year, bringing exports to the Caribbean + DR (14,110 mt, +72.5%) to the highest level on record, surpassing the previous record set in November 2022 (12,010 mt) by 2,100 mt. Exports to El Salvador (1,470 mt, +33%) were the third highest level on record, exports to Guatemala (2,700 mt, +23%) were the sixth highest level on record, and exports were also higher year-over-year to Costa Rica (890 mt, +22%), while exports to Honduras (3,490 mt, -34%), Nicaragua (900 mt, -10%) and Panama (550 mt, -34%) were below year-ago levels, bringing exports to Central America (10,010 mt, -11%) lower year-over-year. Exports to South America (7,970 mt, -8%) were below year-ago levels with exports to Colombia (6,560 mt, -13%) lower year-over-year, but exports to Chile (1,240 mt, +50%) were at the highest level since October. Exports to Canada (18,850 mt, +10%) were higher year-over-year. Combined exports to China/HK totaled 14,890 mt with exports to China (14,290 mt, +8%) higher year-over-year, but at the lowest level since April, and exports to Hong Kong (610 mt, -4%) lower year-over-year. Exports to Korea (18,190 mt, +30%) were the highest since May 2021 and exports to Japan (32,770 mt, +5%) were also above year-ago levels. Exports to Malaysia (470 mt, up from 50 mt) were the highest level on record, while exports to the Philippines (1,450 mt, -4%), Vietnam (210 mt, -40% but the highest level since August), and Singapore (100 mt, -68%) were lower year-over-year, bringing exports to the ASEAN (2,320 mt, -2%) slightly below year-ago levels, but to the highest level since October. Exports to Aus/NZ (5,040 mt, +62%) and Taiwan (550 mt, +105%) were both at the highest level since July 2021, while exports to EU27 + UK (110 mt, -22%) were below year-ago levels, but at the highest level since April.

March pork variety meat exports totaled 52,171 mt, +35% or +13,621 mt from last year. Exports were higher to China/HK (+7,810 mt), Mexico (+3,890 mt), ASEAN (+2,090 mt), Caribbean + DR (+440 mt), South America (+180 mt), and Canada (+20 mt), while exports were lower to Korea (-350 mt), Japan (-340 mt), and Central America (-80 mt) and there were no reported exports to Taiwan in March 2023, nor March 2022. Exports to China (29,800 mt, +35.5%) were above year-ago levels, while exports to Korea (870 mt, -29%) were below year-ago levels, but were at the highest level in a year. Exports to Japan (530 mt, -39%) were lower year-over-year.

Exports to the Philippines (3,630 mt, +132%) were the highest level on record and helped bring exports to the ASEAN (3,750 mt, +126%) to the sixth highest level on record. Exports to Mexico (12,690 mt, +44%) were higher year-over-year and exports to Canada (1,710 mt, +1%) were also above year-ago levels and were at the highest level since July 2020. Exports to the Dominican Republic (700 mt, +188%) were the second highest level on record, helping to bring exports to the Caribbean + DR (870 mt, +102%) to the eighth highest level on record and the highest level since January 2014. Exports to Colombia (870 mt, +27.5%) were the second highest level on record and exports to Chile (150 mt, +31%) were the highest level since May, bringing exports to South America (1,060 mt, +20%) to the highest level since August. Exports to Panama (130 mt, up significantly) were the highest level since October and exports to El Salvador (70 mt, +50%) were also higher year-over-year, while exports to Guatemala (260 mt, -44.5%) and Honduras (180 mt, -6%) were lower year-over-year, bringing exports to Central America (670 mt, -11%) below year-ago levels, but to the highest level since October.

January – March pork muscle cut + pork variety meat exports totaled 716,691 mt, up 14% or +86,763 mt from last year. Exports were higher to China/HK (+30,600 mt), Mexico (+26,740 mt), Caribbean + DR (+14,180 mt), Canada (+5,680 mt), ASEAN (+4,610 mt), Aus/NZ (+2,010 mt), Korea (+1,110 mt), Taiwan (+980 mt), Central America (+430 mt), and South America (+320 mt), while exports were lower to Japan (-1,000 mt) and EU27 + UK (-80 mt).

March pork exports accounted for 25.0% of pork production and 29.1% when including variety meats, compared to 22.4% and 25.2% for March 2022. January – March 2023 pork exports accounted for 24.1% of production and 28.2% when including variety meats, compared to 22.6% and 25.4% for January – March 2022.

March 2023 pork export value per head averaged $63.15/head, up $8.46/head or +15% from $54.70/head in March 2022. January – March 2023 pork export value per head averaged $60.29/head, up $6.11/head or +11% from $54.18/head for January – March 2022.

SOURCE: USMEF