Beef exports from the USA set new records in August 2018; export value exceeded $750 million for the first time, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). August pork exports were comparable with last year, but retaliatory import duties in key markets continued to pressure pork export value.
Beef exports for August totaled 119,850 metric tons (mt), up 7 percent from a year ago, valued at $751.7 million. An increase of 11 percent year-over-year and easily exceeding the previous record of $722.1 million reached in May 2018. From January to August, beef exports totaled 899,300 mt, an increase of 9 percent from a year ago.