Beef
The US is Australia's second largest beef export market (in terms of volume), with shipments in 2010 reaching 185,035 tonnes swt, valued at A$774 million FOB.
Market conditions in the US were challenging in 2010 due to the appreciating A$, competition for Australian product in other markets and weak US consumer spending in the US foodservice sector.
Frozen grassfed beef continues to make up a large majority of Australian beef sent to the US. However, chilled beef exports have been on the rise for the past decade and continue to record growth. Australian manufacturing beef exports to the US made up 62% of total Australian beef exports to the US in 2010.
US beef quota
As at 7 November 2011, import entries of Australian beef totalled 121,059 tonnes swt, 26% down on the same time last year (30.5% of quota filled).
Steiner Consulting Group US market report
Read the weekly news about the US beef market - 9 February 2012
US cattle inventory
The US cattle herd continues to contract, with numbers as at 1 July 2011 falling 1% below year ago levels, to 100 million head - the smallest cattle inventory on record. The US cattle herd though remains the world's fourth largest cattle herd (following India, Brazil and China).
US beef production
The US is the world's largest beef producer, producing 11.9 million tonnes cwt of beef in 2010.
US beef consumption
In the US, per capita beef consumption is the third largest in the world (following Argentina and Uruguay). Given the forecast decline for US beef production in 2011, combined with the rise in beef exports and a fall in imports, total US beef consumption is forecast to fall 3% in 2011, to the equivalent of 26.2kg/head (retail weight)
US beef exports
Prior to the discovery of the first case of BSE in the US in December 2003, the US was one of the world's largest beef exporters. For years following this time, US exports have remained at relatively low levels, until 2010 saw US beef exports recover close to pre-BSE levels, with US beef shipments (including variety meat) in 2010 totalling 1.07 million tonnes swt.
US beef imports
The US is the world's largest beef importer. US beef imports (unprocessed and processed beef) reached 1.04 million tonnes cwt in 2010 - down 13% on 2009 volumes.
Find out more on the North America beef market in the North America Beef Red Meat Market Report
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