Global exports of U.S. beef have hit an all-time record for volume and value, adding more value to U.S. beef cattle and providing markets for products not currently used in this country.
Those international markets for beef variety meats boosted exports by 15% in 2022 compared to 2021, accounting for $1.24 billion of the total $11.68 billion in U.S. beef exports. John Hinners, Senior Vice President of Industry Relations for the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), says, “Beef exports add nearly $450 per head of fed slaughter value. Global export value is up 10% from the previous record and nearly 40% above the previous five-year average.”
Total U.S. beef exports in 2022 hit 1.47 metric tons. The top eight importers of U.S. beef include South Korea, China/Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Colombia, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.
“Exports are at all all-time high in both volume and value,” says Norman Voyles Jr., former Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) Chair. “And the really great thing about that is it’s not necessarily rib-eyes and T-bones that are going overseas. There’s demand for beef lips that are bringing $1.30 per pound, or tongue that’s bringing over $2 a pound, and in the U.S. those parts of the beef animal would likely be rendered.”
CBB partners with the USMEF to develop international demand for U.S. beef in prospective markets through USMEF’s 17 offices worldwide.
Added value
“We’re adding a lot of value to that beef animal,” Voyles says. “Exports have added somewhere in the neighborhood of $450 per fed animal back to the industry.”
Japan, China/Hong Kong and South Korea were the three largest export markets for 2022, and exports remain strong to Canada and Mexico. New markets have also been added in recent years in South America, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and Dubai.
The vast majority of edible beef variety meats are exported, amounting to nearly 25 pounds per carcass. Per carcass, Hinners says those extra meats look like this:
- 1.92 pounds of tongues to Japan, adding $18.63 per carcass
- 3.83 pounds of tripe, adding $6.95 per carcass
- 5.5 pounds of liver, adding $4.31 per carcass
- 1.89 pounds of lips to Mexico, adding $2.01 per carcass
- 1.78 pounds of hearts to Mexico, adding $2.02 per carcass
- 0.79 pounds of tripe and intestines to Japan, adding $1.86 per carcass
“What’s so exciting for the beef industry is we have added that much value in 2022. Customers around the world continue to demand and buy our product,” Hinners says. “We will never be the cheapest, nor do we want to be, but we have so many stackable attributes with our product — branding, supply of a variety of cuts, impeccable food safety, and one of the best stories in the world as far as commitment to our livestock.”
EDITOR’S TAKE:
What a great report on the state of exports in the beef industry. Beef producers clearly benefit a great deal from efforts to export not only the everyday cuts of meat, but also receive advantages from exporting cuts of meat that are not as widely used in the U.S. Overall, this report provides a concise breakdown of the extra income beef producers realize from exports. Be sure to include beef producers in your marketing plans. They are a huge part of the agricultural community and purchase a lot of trucks for their operations. They can also benefit from lower operating costs by using products offered by several of our AgPack® partners. By using those products, they immediately realize a return on their truck investment!
