The main destinations of US pork exports

Japan, Mexico and China were the top destinations for U.S. pork exports in 2019, measured in value, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Japan acquired $ 1,441 million; Mexico, 974 million, and China 856 million dollars.

Other major destinations for pork exports were: the Republic of Korea, Canada, Australia, Colombia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras.

In China, in 2019, pork production fell by up to 21% and in Vietnam by 15%, the two largest pork-producing countries in the world. Although the production of other types of meat, especially poultry, increased, it was not enough to fill the gap created by the drop in pig production.

Pork meat exports

In sum, the external sales of this type of meat originating in the United States were 5,218 million dollars.

According to estimates by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the forecast for world pork production falls by 2% to 94.3 million tons due to lower expectations for China, where the industry is struggling to recover. of African Swine Fever (ASF).

The USDA forecasts that world production will be 7% lower in 2020, year-over-year, largely due to lower production in China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, all countries affected by ASF.

Growth in production in the United States, Brazil and, to a lesser extent, the Customs Union of the European Union (EU27 + United Kingdom) compensates for some of the falls in Asia, as recent strong export demand has encouraged producers to expand herds.

According to the same projections, pork exports worldwide rise to 10.5 million tons, due to strong demand for pork from China.

For its part, China’s imports amount to 3.9 million tons, which represents 40% of world imports. Import forecasts for countries other than China have been lowered mainly for 2020.

Finally, weaker economic growth and COVID-19 impacts on demand for food services are expected to decrease the demand for pork.