Monthly U.S. Pork & Variety Meat Export Volume in November 2023

PORK HIGHLIGHTS

November 2023:

Pork: 208,859 mt, +7% and the highest since May; $626 million, +3%, the highest since May 2021 and the eighth highest on record
PVM: 49,742 mt, -1.5%; $112 million, -5%
Pork + PVM: 258,601 mt, +5% and the highest since May; $737 million, +2%, the highest since May 2021 and seventh highest on record

JANUARY – November 2023:

Pork: 2.102 million mt, +8%, $6.137 billion, +5%
PVM: 536,913 mt, +11%; $1.257 billion, +8%
Pork + PVM: 2.638 million mt, +8%; $7.394 billion, +5.5%

November pork muscle cut exports totaled 208,859 mt, up 7% or +13,374 mt from last year and the highest since May. Exports were higher to Mexico (+9,250 mt), South America (+4,750 mt), Aus/NZ (+4,270 mt), Central America (+3,550 mt), Korea (+2,050 mt), Canada (+340 mt), Taiwan (+320 mt), Caribbean + DR (+310 mt), EU27 + UK (+110 mt), and Japan (+100 mt), while exports were lower to China/HK (-11,120 mt) and ASEAN (-270 mt). Exports to Mexico (86,180 mt, +12%) were the second highest level on record, only 570 mt behind the record set in October of this year. Exports to Canada (19,650 mt, +2%) were the second highest level this year and the eighth highest level on record. Exports to Japan (26,500 mt) were up slightly (+0.4%) year-over-year and exports to Korea (16,200 mt, +41%) were also above year-ago levels and the highest level since May. Combined exports to China/HK totaled 9,600 mt, down 54% from last November and the lowest level since January 2019, with exports to China (8,660 mt, -57%) below year-ago levels and the lowest level since January 2019, while exports to Hong Kong (940 mt, +41%) were higher year-over-year and the highest level since May 2021. Exports to Taiwan (760 mt, +73%) were above year-ago levels for the tenth consecutive month. Exports to Malaysia (370 mt, up from 20 mt) and Vietnam (140 mt, +84%) were higher year-over-year and exports to Indonesia (130 mt, +198%) were also above year-ago levels and the second highest level so far this year, while exports to the Philippines (1,020 mt, -38%) were the lowest level since April 2022 and exports to Singapore (120 mt, -54%) were the lowest level since March of this year. Overall, exports to the ASEAN (1,780 mt, -13%) were the lowest level since April 2022. Exports to Central America (15,320 mt, +30%) were the highest level on record, moving above the previous record held in December 2022 by 700 mt. There were record exports to several countries in Central America including: Honduras (5,650 mt, +17%), Guatemala (3,660 mt, +36%), El Salvador (1,730 mt, +68%), and Costa Rica (1,610 mt, +23%). Exports to Nicaragua (1,680 mt, +25%) were the second highest level on record and exports to Panama (790 mt, +116%) were above year-ago levels, further helping Central America reach a new record. Exports to South America (13,690 mt, +53%) were the highest level since November 2021, with exports to Colombia (11,220 mt, +45%) the highest level since November 2021 and the third highest level on record, exports to Chile (2,070 mt, +102%) the highest level since October 2021, and exports to Peru (260 mt, +221%) also higher year-over-year. Exports to the Caribbean + DR (12,290 mt, +3%) were the second highest level on record behind March of this year, with exports to the Dominican Republic (9,850 mt, -2%) slightly below last year’s large total, but the highest level since April and the fifth highest level on record. Exports to the Leeward-Windward Islands (680 mt, +18%) and the Turks and Caicos Islands (100 mt, +61%) were the highest level on record, and exports to the Cayman Islands (110 mt, +30%) were the highest level since September 2022, while exports to the Bahamas (460 mt, -10%) were below year-ago levels, but the second highest level so far this year, exports to Netherlands Antilles (260 mt, -29%) were lower year-over-year, and exports to Trinidad and Tobago (170 mt, -9%) were the lowest level since January. Combined exports to Aus/NZ totaled 6,330 mt with exports to both Australia (5,880 mt, +236%) and New Zealand (450 mt, +44%) above year-ago levels. Exports to the EU27 + UK (200 mt, +118%) were the highest level since April 2022.

November pork variety meat exports totaled 49,742 mt, down 1.5% or -781 mt from last year. Exports were higher to Mexico (+3,270 mt), Canada (+1,020 mt), Korea (+760 mt), Central America (+720 mt), South America (+580 mt),

Taiwan (+270 mt), and Caribbean + DR (+150 mt), while exports were lower to China/HK (-7,130 mt), Japan (-210 mt), and ASEAN (-130 mt). Exports to Mexico (14,130 mt, +30%) and Canada (1,770 mt, +136%) were above year-ago levels. Exports to Korea (1,200 mt, +169%) were the second highest level this year, only behind July by 1 mt, and when excluding July, exports were the highest level since May 2019. Exports to Japan (390 mt, -34%) were lower year-over-year, while exports to Taiwan (270 mt, up from 0 mt) were above year-ago levels. Exports to China/HK (27,090 mt, -27%) were below year-ago levels with no reported exports to Hong Kong. Exports to the ASEAN (1,560 mt, -8%) were the second lowest level this year, with exports to the Philippines (1,500 mt, -1%) and Vietnam (100 mt, -22%) lower year-over-year. Exports to Central America (1,250 mt, +136%) were the highest level on record, with exports to Honduras (320 mt, +47%) the highest level on record, exports to El Salvador (120 mt, +182%) the third highest level on record, exports to Panama (240 mt, up from 10 mt) the highest level since September 2020, and exports to Guatemala (420 mt, +76%) the highest level since August 2022. Exports to Colombia (930 mt, +61%) were the second highest level on record, only 42 mt behind the record held in August 2022, and exports to Chile (370 mt, +256%) were the highest level since October 2021, bringing exports to South America (1,360 mt, +74%) to the highest level since July 2021. Exports to the Caribbean + DR (450mt, +48%) were above year-ago levels driven by exports to the Dominican Republic (250 mt, +50%), Trinidad and Tobago (60 mt, +256%), and the Leeward-Windward Islands (50 MT, +6%).

January – November pork muscle cut + pork variety meat exports totaled 2.638 million mt, up 8% or +199,858 mt from last year.Exports were higher to Mexico (+117,430 mt), Aus/NZ (+32,830 mt), Canada (+21,540 mt), Caribbean + DR (+18,340 mt), Central America (+15,120), Taiwan (+12,840 mt), ASEAN (+11,570 mt), Korea (+6,980 mt), and EU27 + UK (+550 mt), while exports were lower to China/HK (-20,710 mt), Japan (-17,120 mt), and South America (-680 mt).

November pork exports accounted for 26.2% of pork production and 30.1% when including variety meats,compared to 24.9% and 29.1% for November 2022. January – November 2023 pork exports accounted for 25.2% of production and 29.4% when including variety meats, compared to 23.6% and 27.2% for January – November 2022. 

November 2023 pork export value per head averaged $66.20/head, down $0.24/head or -0.4% from $66.45/head in November 2022. January – November 2023 pork export value per head averaged $63.12/head, up $2.18/head or +4% from $60.94/head for January – November 2022.

SOURCE: USMEF