November pork exports higher than 2014
November pork exports were 431 million pounds, almost 20 percent above November 2014—when PED effects on supply and pork prices hammered November exports—but 5 percent below shipments in November 2013 (see figure below).
The top 10 most important foreign destinations for U.S. exported pork in November 2015 are summarized in the table below (following the figure).
One of the more notable aspects of U.S. pork exports in 2015 has been that Mexico has displaced Japan as the most important destination for exported U.S. pork, in terms of volume.
The data show that in 9 months out of 11, shipments to Mexico are the largest. However, in terms of unit value (dollars per carcass weight equivalent pound), Japan continues to be far and away the leader.
In November, the mean unit value of all exported pork was $0.99 per pound, carcass weight equivalent. Shipments to Mexico carried an average unit value of $0.69, whereas for Japan the value was $1.30. Of the top 10 largest (by volume) importers, Canada had the largest unit value of $1.65.
The United States is expected to export 1.275 billion pounds of pork in the fourth quarter of 2015; 1.250 billion pounds in the first quarter of 2016, and 5.125 billion pounds, in total, for 2016.
Source: USDA, LIvestock, Dairy and Poultry, January 2016
