US beef exports set another new monthly record in July, reaching $939.1m (€795.8m), 45% ahead of last year.

The volume exported by the US in July was 122,743t product weight, the third highest monthly total on record in what the US meat exporters’ federation described as the ‘post-BSE’ era.

For the year to end of July, US beef exports are at 822,830t, an increase of 18% on the same period last year and the value of $5.58bn (€4.73bn) is 30% ahead of the first seven months in 2020.

The US is currently running 6% ahead in volume and 17% ahead in value on the record year of 2018.

Markets

Japan continues to be the main US beef export market, taking 28,549t in July with greater retail demand offsetting loss in catering and hospitality demand as the country deals with COVID-19.

South Korea is the next largest market, taking 23,369t of beef, while the surge in US exports to China continues with 18,021t going there in July, another record for the US.