Pork exports reached 245,663 metric tons (mt) in November, up 3% from a year ago, while export value climbed 10% to $725.1 million. Both thee numbers were the highest since May 2021, USMEF says.

For January through November, pork exports were 10% below the previous year at 2.43 million mt, valued at just under $7 billion (down 7%).

Pork exports to Mexico and the Dominican Republic set records in November, with shipments to Mexico topping $200 million for the second consecutive month. Exports also trended higher year-over-year to China/Hong Kong, South Korea and the Philippines.

November results were also helped by growth in pork variety meat exports, which were up more than 25% from 2022.

“I cannot say enough about the tremendous performance of the Mexican market and its importance to the U.S. pork industry,” says USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “U.S. pork faces heightened competition in Mexico, especially with the recent suspension of import duties. But U.S. industry efforts to educate the trade and consumers about the outstanding quality, consistency and value of U.S. pork continue to pay dividends and elevate overall demand.

“The rebound in pork variety meat exports is also excellent news for the U.S. industry, reflecting broad-based demand growth and an improved labor situation.”

USMEF says November beef exports were below the large year-ago totals, but 2022 export value already set a full-year record of nearly $11 billion.

November beef exports totaled 115,777 mt, down 6% from the previous year’s large volume, while export value declined nearly 20% to $846.6 million.

USMEF says through the first 11 months of 2022, beef export value still increased 14% year-over-year to $10.9 billion, already topping the full-year record ($10.58 billion) set in 2021. January-November export volume was 1.36 million mt, up 3% from the record pace of 2021.

Through November, U.S. beef exports already set full-year value records in several markets, including South Korea and China/Hong Kong, where exports topped $2.5 billion and $2.4 billion, respectively. Export value also reached new annual highs in Taiwan, the Philippines and Singapore.