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USMEF: Beef variety meat value reaches new high in March

Beef

March beef exports totaled 97,731 mt, down 11% from a year ago, while value fell 8% to $844.7 million, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Posted on May 19 ,00:30

Shipments increased year-over-year to Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Indonesia, and were steady to Korea and Taiwan. But these results were offset by minimal exports to China, and exports were also below last year to Japan and the Middle East. Excluding China, March exports were 4% above last year’s volume and increased 8% in value.

The March export results included 29,062 mt of beef variety meat, up 24% from a year ago and the largest since 2017. Variety meat export value increased 50% to $135.6 million, the highest on record.

March was a very robust month for per-head export value, which equated to $456.56 per head of fed slaughter.

Through the first quarter, beef and beef variety meat exports totaled 275,355 mt, down 11% from a year ago, while value fell 7% to $2.35 million. Excluding China from these results, exports were 3% higher than a year ago in volume and increased 9% in value.

“On the beef side, while China has now been absent for more than a year, the U.S. industry is making strides in other markets. The supply situation makes it difficult to grow export volumes, but exports are commanding strong prices. Expanding beef variety meat demand is especially critical, as this makes such a key contribution to the value of every animal,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom.

For the third time in four months, beef variety meat value reaches a new high

Global customers are increasingly seeking items that deliver excellent value, and U.S. beef variety meat is helping meet this need. After setting a monthly value record in December 2025 ($122.1 million), export value topped that total in January ($126 million) and again in March ($135.6 million, up 50% year-over-year). Export volume in March was 29,062 mt, the largest in nine years. Through the first quarter, beef variety meat exports increased 14% from a year ago to 80,654 mt, while value soared 45% to $367.6 million. Growth was driven by larger shipments to Mexico, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, South Africa, Peru, Colombia and the Philippines.

For beef plus beef variety meat, March exports to leading value market Korea were steady with last year at 20,729 mt, while value increased 3% to $209.9 million. January-March shipments were down 3% in both volume (56,242 mt) and value ($553.6 million). Although the changes did not impact first-quarter exports, Korea recently began accepting processed products made with beef from cattle less than 30 months of age. An export verification program was also removed following Korea’s lifting of residency requirements for cattle of Canadian origin.

Beef exports to Taiwan remained strong in March, matching last year’s volume at 5,078 mt and increasing slightly in value to $61 million. This capped an excellent first quarter – the strongest since 2022 – in which Taiwan posted a 22% increase in volume (14,909 mt), while value increased 14% to $168.4 million.

Other first-quarter export results for U.S. beef include:

• The U.S. has exported larger volumes of beef variety meat to Japan in 2026, but fewer muscle cuts. The combined result is a 4% drop in export volume (57,396 mt) through the first quarter, while value was down 3% to $436.8 million. Japan remains the leading volume market for U.S. beef and ranks second to Korea in export value.
• While March beef exports to the Caribbean were up less than 1% to 3,276 mt, it was the second highest volume on record. March export value climbed 22% to a record $36.9 million. Led by growth in the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and the Netherlands Antilles, first-quarter exports to the region increased 5% in volume (8,996 mt), while value jumped 27% to $102.7 million. First quarter exports were on a record pace to the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Netherlands Antilles, and Turks and Caicos.
• Central America has followed a pattern similar to the Caribbean, with volumes increasing modestly but at soaring values. First-quarter exports to Guatemala climbed impressively in both volume (2,944 mt, up 18%) and value ($30.6 million, up 28%), with other markets posting increases in value. First-quarter shipments to the region increased just 1% to 6,100 mt, but value climbed 19% to $62.6 million.
• Growth in Peru and Colombia pushed March beef exports to South America 30% above last year at 2,070 mt, while value soared 77% to $20 million, the highest since 2021. First-quarter exports to South America increased 21% in volume (5,382 mt) and 55% in value ($47.6 million).
• March exports to the Middle East definitely felt the impact of transportation disruptions stemming from the conflict with Iran. Exports to Egypt were down 9% year-over-year but increased in value, as those shipments avoid the most troubled routes. But exports to the United Arab Emirates were just 127 mt, the lowest in eight months. March exports also declined to Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Lebanon. Through the first quarter, beef exports to the Middle East were 14% below last year at 12,027 mt, while value fell 12% to $57.1 million.
• Beef export value per head of fed slaughter equated to $456.56 in March, down slightly from a year ago but the highest in 12 months. The January-March average was $431.66, up 2% from the first quarter of 2025. Exports accounted for 13.6% of total March beef production and 10.2% for muscle cuts, down from 14.8% and 12.5%, respectively, in March 2025. The first-quarter ratios were 13.1% of total production and 9.9% for muscle cuts, down from 13.8% and 11.5%, respectively, a year ago.

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