ANALYSIS: US Beef and Veal Exports Hit 52-Week Low in Jan 2025 

According to the latest UDSA monthly beef and veal exports summary, US beef exports hit a 52-week low in January sending 104,414 metric tons (mt) of material overseas, which is down 13,000 mt month-over-month from December of 2024 (-11.1%).

The US exported 1.08M mt of beef in 2024, with the majority heading to Korea, Japan and China. As large consumers of beef cuts and boneless beef, much of what the...

What Trump Tariffs Mean for Food and Agriculture Trade

US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% tariff on imports from China.

Tariffs for Canada and China are in effect as of February 4, while the tariffs on Mexico have been delayed for one month following negotiations with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who agreed to send 10,000 members of her country’s national guard to the border to address drug trafficking... 

US Meat Trade Faces Uncertainty Ahead of Tariff Implementation

On Thursday, President Trump reaffirmed his plan to impose 25% tariffs on goods imported from Mexico and Canada, set to take effect on February 1, 2025. He is also considering an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports.

The announcement has heightened uncertainty across many industries, including the livestock and meat sectors. The tariffs threaten to significantly disrupt live cattle shipments from Mexico and Canada, both key suppliers...

Compounding these challenges, a ban on feeder cattle imports from Mexico remains in effect following...

Morocco Stops German Feed Grain Imports Over Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Morocco has halted imports of feed grains from Germany following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, the head of Morocco's grain trade federation (FNCL) said on Thursday.

The import suspension affected "all untreated plant-based feed intended for animal consumption from Germany due to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak there," Omar Yacoubi told Reuters.

A source at Morocco's food safety agency ONSSA confirmed that plant-based imports from Germany for animal feed had been "suspended" until Germany is declared free of foot and mouth again or certifies local regions that are free of the disease...

Trump to Lay Out Trade Vision but Won't Impose New Tariffs Yet

President-elect Donald Trump is planning to issue a broad memorandum Monday that directs federal agencies to study trade policies and evaluate U.S. trade relationships with China and America's continental neighbors -- but stops short of imposing new tariffs on his first day in office, as many trading partners feared.

The presidential memo directs federal agencies to investigate and remedy persistent trade deficits and address unfair trade and currency policies by other nations, two longstanding Trump irritants. And it singles out China, Canada and Mexico for scrutiny, directing agencies...

APHIS Eases Trade Limits on Unvaccinated Poultry and Ducks from France and EPTR

The USDA's APHIS is easing trade restrictions imposed on October 1, 2023, regarding imports of unvaccinated live poultry from France and unvaccinated live ducks from the European Poultry Trade Region (EPTR), including Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

APHIS determined that the following live animal commodities are unlikely to receive vaccinations, and the HPAI vaccination campaign has not greatly impacted the risk of HPAI virus entering the U.S. through their importation:

• Non-duck poultry and hatching eggs from France
• Hatching eggs from France derived from unvaccinated...

ANALYSIS: Record-Breaking Lamb Imports Surge into the US in 2024

The US lamb market hit a historic high in 2024, with imports surpassing a total of 195 million pounds of fresh and frozen lamb cuts, according to USDA data. Fresh imports led the increase, reaching 106.9 million pounds due to rising domestic demand. Frozen imports contributed another 88.8 million pounds, partly driven by concerns about potential disruptions from US pork strikes on the East and Gulf Coasts in late 2024 and early 2025.

Despite challenges, such as a narrowly avoided port strike last week, top...

ANALYSIS: US Imported Beef Prices Hold Firm in the New Year Despite Rising Imports

Prices for imported Australian/New Zealand (Aus/NZ) and Brazilian beef remained buoyant in January 2025, showing no signs of easing despite increased supply. Lower domestic production has caused some participants to seek alternatives in the imported market.

Since November 2024, Aus/NZ beef has experienced a $13/cwt increase, or roughly 5%, supported by the lowest US cattle numbers in decades. Drought conditions over the past two years have contributed to a significant decline in US cattle numbers, which are now at their lowest...

German Meat Imports Bans Continue Despite No New FMD Cases

Germany’s Agriculture minister Cem Oezdemir said the country had not detected any more cases since the initial outbreak on Friday. However, the source of the disease has not yet been found.  

The ministry issued a ban on the transport of all cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and camelids, as well as their bodies and body parts and their manure from or to an animal-keeping operation in the state of Brandenburg, where the outbreak happened. But the ban is due to end on January 15 at 11:59 p.m...

ANALYSIS: Economic Headwinds Drag China’s 2024 Meat Imports Down 9.7% to 6.66M mt

China’s 2024 total meat imports, including variety meats amounted to 6.66 million metric tons (mt), falling 9.7% compared to the previous year, according to the latest preliminary data from the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China.

As the world’s largest meat importer since 2019, China’s meat imports in 2024 decreased for the fourth consecutive year. From the spillover effects of its recovery from African Swine Fever (ASF) and stockpiling efforts in 2023 to increased domestic production, economic challenges...

ANALYSIS: China's Beef Imports Under Scrutiny: Overview of Historical Data of Key Suppliers

China's Ministry of Commerce has formally initiated an investigation into the surge of beef imports, which domestic stakeholders claim is causing severe harm to local industries. The application, submitted by major agricultural and livestock associations, outlines a detailed case for imposing safeguard measures under the nation's trade remedies legislation. This move comes in response to a significant rise in beef imports with lower pricing of imports undermining the domestic market...

ANALYSIS: China’s Nov 2024 Beef Imports Hit 11-Month Highs at 261,343 mt

China's beef imports rose for the second consecutive month in November 2024, reaching 261,343 metric tons (mt), the highest level since January, according to data from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).

Climbing by 10.1% month-on-month (m-o-m), the tonnage was up by 24,079 mt amid higher volumes from Brazil, its largest supplier, along with notable contributions from Argentina, Uruguay and the United States (US).

Year-on-year (y-o-y), imports grew by 10.4% (+24,678 mt) driven primarily...

Impact of the EU-Mercosur Agreement on EU Beef Market

After 25 years of negotiations, the European Union (EU) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), comprising Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, reached a landmark free-trade and cooperation agreement on December 6, 2024. In 2023, EU agri-food exports to Mercosur totalled €3.2 billion, and the new EU-Mercosur Free-Trade Agreement aims to substantially increase these exports by removing high tariffs on key EU export products. The following article examines the potential impact of the deal on the beef market...

FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ineligible Pork Products Imported From Ecuador

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for frozen ready-to-eat pork mortadella products that may have been illegally imported from Ecuador, a country ineligible to export meat and poultry products to the United States. FSIS is continuing to investigate the origins of this product, and there may be additional products affected.

The following products subject to the public health alert are [view labels]:

• 1-lb. vacuum-sealed packages containing “Mortadela ESPECIAL BOLOGNIA...

China Lifts Final Market Bans for Two Australian Beef Plants 

As of December 3rd, 2024, two Australian beef plants (Plant 1620 Australia Country Choice Production Pty Ltd and Plant 243 John Dee Warwick Pty Ltd) were approved for export to China, according to the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China.

The plants were banned from China’s market from 2021 and 2020 amid strained relationships between the two trading partners. 

“This is great news for Australian exporters, producers, and farmers... it’s a win for trade and a win for Australian jobs – something my Government will always back,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.  

Mexican Cattle Imports to U.S. Suspended Following New World Screwworm Detection 

On November 22, 2024, Mexico's Chief Veterinary Officer notified the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of a confirmed case of New World screwworm (NWS) in a cow in Chiapas, located near the Guatemalan border.

NWS, the larvae of a fly species, infest and feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, posing a significant threat to livestock and other animals.

"With the northward spread of NWS, APHIS has ramped up its collaboration with Central American countries to combat this pest in affected regions," said Dr. Rosemary Sifford, Chief Veterinary Officer of the United States. "This recent detection in Mexico underscores the need to intensify these efforts to protect U.S. agriculture and restore the Central American barrier."...

ANALYSIS: China’s Oct 2024 Beef Imports Rebound to 7-Month High at 237,264 mt

China's October 2024 beef imports rose to a 7-month high to 237,264 metric tonnes (mt), according to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs People's Republic of China.

Increasing by 8.7% month-on-month (m-o-m), October 2024’s imports rose by 19,066 mt from September 2024’s 5-month low. This rebound was primarily fuelled by stronger shipments from Brazil, its largest supplier, along with notable contributions from Uruguay and New Zealand.

Year-on-year (y-o-y), imports...

Philippines Surpasses China in Brazilian Pork Imports as Sector Hits Record Shipment Revenues

The Philippines has emerged as Brazil's largest export market for pork in 2024 with 206,000 tonnes shipped between January and October, a 103% year-on-year increase, displacing China as the top importer who, during the same period purchased 199,900 tonnes, down 41% according to The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA).

In October 2024, Brazil's pork exports, including fresh and processed products, reached 130,900 tonnes, representing the second-highest monthly total in the industry’s history and a 41% increase from the 93,000 tonnes...