Pork Remains on Record Pace Alongside Robust Red Meat Exports in November

November was an exciting month for U.S. red meat, with year-over-year gains across all categories, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Record Pace for Pork Exports

“U.S. pork exports remained on a record pace, while beef and lamb shipments also increased substantially from November 2023,” USMEF wrote.

Pork export value increased 6% in November to just under $783 million while pork exports came in at 272,141 metric tons (mt), up 5% from a year ago.

These results included an especially strong month for pork muscle cut exports, which increased 6% to 221,652 mt.

Muscle cut export value was the third highest on record at $671.4 million.

Export value per head slaughtered was $72.20 in November, up 9% from a year ago and the highest since April.

“Another terrific month for pork demand in Mexico and throughout the Western Hemisphere,” USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said in a release. “It was also encouraging to see exports trend higher to Japan and sustain strong growth in Oceania and Southeast Asia.”

Pork exports were also up 5% year-over-year in volume (2.76 million mt) in the first 11 months of the year, USMEF noted, and up 6% in value ($7.85 billion).

“When December results are available, exports will exceed 3 million mt for the first time, topping the previous high (2.98 million mt) reached in 2020,” USMEF shared. “Export value will exceed $8.5 billion, easily surpassing the 2023 record of $8.16 billion.”