Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 8/14/09

U.S. pork exports in June, at 102,541 metric tons, reflected the smallest monthly export volume since December 2007 and a 33.4 percent drop from June 2008.

Combined pork and variety meat exports, at 133,594 metric tons, were down 31 percent from a year ago.

In analyses of these recently released USDA statistics, both the CME Group's Daily Livestock Report and the U.S. Meat Export Federation cited reduced pork imports by China as a major factor, pointing both to H1N1-related reductions and the sharp recovery of China's domestic hog production after disease-related supply reductions in recent years.

Pork exports also declined in June from a year ago to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Russia and a number of smaller markets.

Beef exports mixed

June beef muscle cut exports rose 2.5 percent in volume from a year ago, but slipped 4 percent in value. The DLR noted that last June the United States did not have access to the South Korean market for beef. Taking that factor out of the equation, June beef shipments would have been down 3 percent from a year ago.

Beef variety meat exports in the month fell a whopping 40 percent from last June, with variety meat exports to Mexico down 59 percent, to the Middle East down 21 percent and to Russia down 46 percent, according to USMEF. Variety meat exports to Japan, however, rose 121 percent, while variety meat exports to Canada rose 23 percent.

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