July exports of U.S. pork were slightly below last year but accounted for a larger share of production, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Market access obstacles continued to weigh heavily on exports of U.S. beef, with the vast majority of plants still ineligible to ship to China. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said pork exports totaled 238,922 metric tons (mt), down just 1% from a year ago, while value fell 4% to $680.9 million, largely reflecting the 10% decline in pork variety meat prices due to China’s tariffs.
Through the first seven months of 2025, pork exports were 4% below last year’s record pace in both volume (1.69 million mt) and value ($4.8 billion). Fortunately, Halstrom said U.S. pork got some good news with an increased quota into the European Union.
Halstrom said U.S. beef performed very well in July in leading market South Korea, as well as in the Caribbean, Central America, Chile, the Philippines, and Africa, but beef exports continue to be limited by China essentially shutting the U.S. out of the market.
For more information, visit usmef.org.
