Pork export volume (187,629 metric tons) was nine per cent higher than in February 2011, while value ($526.2 million) was up 21 per cent. For the first two months of the year, pork exports totaled 399,086 mt valued at $1.09 billion – increases of 18 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively. This is the first time US pork export value has reached the $1 billion mark after only two months.

“Export results were quite solid, especially considering the impact of market access issues in some destinations, particularly Taiwan and Southeast Asia,“ said USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng. “We continue to expand the presence of US pork in all key destinations – especially in North Asia and in Western Hemisphere markets."

ebruary pork exports equated to 27.7 per cent of total production when including both muscle cuts and variety meat, 24 per cent for muscle cuts only. This compares to 27 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively, in February 2011. Export value equated to $58.17 per hog slaughtered, up 14 per cent from last year’s figure of $51.06.

Exports to Mexico, the largest volume market for US pork, were lower than the record tonnage recorded in December and January but still outpaced last February’s results in both volume and value. For the year, exports to Mexico were up dramatically compared to the first two months of 2011 – increasing 20 per cent in volume (113,424 mt) and 24 per cent in value ($208 million).

Japan remains the value pacesetter for US pork, as February exports were steady in volume with last year but still achieved an increase of 17 per cent in value. Through February, 2012 exports to Japan were eight per cent higher than a year ago in volume (80,316 mt) and 22 per cent higher in value ($342 million).

“It takes a strong effort at every level to keep these mainstay markets performing at such a strong pace,“ Mr Seng explained. “The retail, foodservice and processing sectors are all critically important to the US industry’s ability to remain the leading supplier to both Japan and Mexico, and USMEF continues to target them aggressively. We also are very focused on the branded market in Japan, which offers fertile ground for expanding sales of US pork.“

Other pork export highlights for the first two months of 2012 include:

• Exports to China/Hong Kong were 39 per cent higher in volume (78,193 mt) and nearly doubled in value ($158.2 million, up 94 per cent). February volume, however, was the smallest since June 2011.
• Exports to Canada increased 36 per cent in volume (36,484 mt) and 45 per cent in value ($129.9 million).
• While lower tariff rates prescribed in the Korea-US FTA did not take effect until mid-March, exports to South Korea increased 11 per cent in volume (36,399 mt) and 28 per cent in value ($104 million).
• Exports to Australia were one-third higher in both volume (12,423 mt) and value ($38.9 million).
• Led by strong demand in Chile and Colombia, exports to the Central and South America region increased 18 per cent in volume (13,091 mt) and 23 per cent in value ($34.8 million).

Destinations where export volume was lower for the year included Taiwan (steady in value at $10.4 million but down 19 per cent in volume to 4,693 mt), where the controversy over ractopamine residues has created an uncertain business climate and lowered imports from all sources. Regulatory issues in the Philippines and Singapore held back exports to the ASEAN region, where export value ($18.3 million) still achieved a small increase despite an 18 per cent decline in volume (7,169 mt).