Beef
The US is Australia's second largest beef export market (in terms of volume), with shipments in 2011 reaching 167,820 tonnes swt, valued at A$774 million FOB.
Market conditions in the US were challenging in 2011 due to the appreciating A$, competition for Australian product in other markets.
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. Australian manufacturing beef exports to the US made up 62% of total Australian beef exports to the US in 2011.
US beef imports in 2011 were down 10% year-on-year to the lowest volume since 1995, at 932,708 tonnes cwt. The fall in beef imports was primarily due to the relatively weak US$ throughout 2011, and increased domestic production following the severe drought conditions across the southern states of the US that resulted in higher cattle slaughter.
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 - 18 May 2012
US cattle inventory
The US cattle herd continues to contract, with numbers as at 1 July 2012 falling 2% below year ago levels, to 90.1 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 2011.
US beef consumption
US per capita beef consumption fell to the fourth highest position in the world in 2011 (following Argentina, Uruquay and Brazil). Given the forecast decline for US beef production in 2012, combined with the rise in beef exports and fall in imports, total US beef consumption is forecast to fall in 2012, with per capita consumption fall to the equivalent of 24.5kg (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. 2011 saw US beef export reached a record high 1.26 million tonnes cwt (or an equivalent of 883,986 tonnes swt), - an increase of 21% on the previous year and 11% above the pre-BSE levels of 2003. The increase in US beef exports was largely assissted by the relatively weak US$, an increased focus upon export markets, along with a rise in cattle on feed number throughout 2011.
US beef imports
The US was the world's second largest beef importer in 2011. US beef imports (unprocessed and processed beef) reached 932,708 tonnes cwt in 2011 - down 10% on 2010 volumes.
Find out more on the North America beef market in the North America Beef Red Meat Market Report
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