060140 U.S. Beef Exports Increase

Recently, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) released U.S. red meat trade data for November 2005. According to the numbers, during November, U.S. exports of beef and veal cuts and beef variety meats rose 22.1 percent over the previous month to 51,182 MT. Also, this was 14.5 percent higher than November 2004.

Specifically, fresh, chilled beef exports totaled 24,628 MT, and frozen beef exports totaled 2,720 MT. U.S. beef variety meat exports during November fell 6.2 percent from October and 10.1 percent from November 2004 to 21,890 MT. Nonetheless, year-to-date variety meat exports equaled 227,337 MT, 42.8 percent greater than last year. During November, the U.S. exported 32,646 MT of beef to Mexico, which was up 41.8 percent over the previous month.

Total year-to-date exports to Mexico reached 254,180 MT, 43.6 percent above a year ago. Mexico was the largest beef export market for the U.S. with 59.7 percent of the total. U.S. beef exports to Canada during November increased 9.7 percent over October to 6,731 MT. Year-to-date beef exports to Canada were 116.9 percent higher than last year, amounting to 43,462 MT.

Overall, U.S. year-to-date beef and veal and beef variety meat exports totaled 425,473 MT, 47.7 percent more than the corresponding period a year earlier.

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