US Pork Exports remained well

While China/Hong Kong continued to be the pacesetter for US pork export growth, April exports also increased significantly to Japan, Vietnam and Chile. April volume reached 264,048 t, up 22% from a year ago but the lowest since November 2019. Export value was $682.8 mill., up 28% year-over-year but the lowest since October 2019. Through the first four months of 2020, pork exports remain on a record pace at 1.1 mill. t, up 35% from a year ago, with value up 45% to $2.91 bn.

With production down significantly from the record levels achieved in March, pork export value per head slaughtered jumped to a record $72.55 in April, up 43% from a year ago. The January-April per-head average was $66.36, up 40%. April exports accounted for 36.2% of total pork production and 32.2% for pork muscle cuts, each up nearly 10 percentage points from a year ago. Through April, exports accounted for 32.4% of total pork production and 29.3% for muscle cuts, up from 24.9% and 21.8%, respectively, in the first four months of 2019.