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U.S. broiler exports set record

April 10, 2023

U.S. broiler exports for the first two months of this year set an all-time high in volume, while egg exports registered gain in value, according to new trade data released by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

Mexico, Vietnam, Congo (Brazzaville), Mauritania, Iraq, Ghana, Haiti, UAE, Costa Rica, Congo (Kinshasa), Jamaica, Sierra Leone, Cuba, and Gambia registered significant gains in broiler exports from the same period a year ago.

Broiler exports for January-February reached 617,478 metric tons, up 3.3 percent from the same period of last year, while export value was $746.6 million, down 3.7 percent (Figure 1). Of the total shipment, 54.6 percent or 337,176 tons were shipped to the top six markets, including Mexico, China, Cuba, Taiwan, Guatemala, Canada.

Shipments to Mexico in January-February 2023 were 123,092 metric tons, up 20.8 percent from the same period a year earlier. During the same period, Brazilian chicken exports to Mexico reached 27,593 metric tons, up 16.9 percent year over year, while Chilean chicken exports to Mexico were 4,255 metric tons, up 17.7 percent.

Exports to China decreased by 23.2 percent to 78,411 tons (of which 64.1 percent or 50,271 metric tons were chicken paws), while shipments to Cuba increased by 4.0 percent to 52,162 tons.Exports to other important markets were Taiwan, 38,387 tons, down 7.6 percent; Guatemala, 23,755 tons, down 2.2 percent; Canada, 21,369, down 10.1 percent; Angola, 20,722 tons, down 14.7 percent; Haiti, 17,920 tons, up 28.7 percent; Congo (Brazzaville), 17,700 tons, up 49.4 percent; Vietnam, 16,350 tons, up 62.7 percent.

Broiler exports in February 2023 were 303,849 metric tons, down 2.6 percent from the same month of last year, while export value was $372.1 million, down 6.9 percent. Shipments to Mexico increased by 19.5 percent year over year to 59,967 metric tons, while exports to China decreased by 25.1 percent to 37,984 tons (of which 64.0 percent or 24,305 metric tons were chicken paws). Exports to Cuba dropped by 26.6 percent to 22,919 tons, while shipments to Taiwan decreased by 6.2 percent to 20,417 tons. While exports to Mauritania, Vietnam, Congo (Brazzaville), Ghana, UAE, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Congo (Kinshasa), and Sierra Leone increased notably year over year, exports to Angola, Philippines, Canada, Kazakhstan, Guatemala, Turkmenistan, and Malaysia decreased significantly.

Cumulative turkey exports for the first two months of this year were 23,404 metric tons, down 26.2 percent from the same period a year earlier, while export value was $80.3 million, down 26.7 percent (Figure 2). The decrease in export volume is due largely to tight supply of US turkey products. Of the total quantity exported, 85.6 percent or 20,026 metric tons were shipped to the top six markets, including Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, Leeward-Windward Islands, Vietnam, and Benin, with Mexico alone accounting for 71.4 percent or 16,704 metric tons.

Turkey exports in February 2023 were 11,306 metric tons, down 25.7 percent from the same month of last year, while export value was $38.3 million, down 26.2 percent. Shipments to Mexico decreased by 17.6 percent to 8,351 metric tons, while exports to Jamaica increased by 36.5 percent to 484 metric tons. Exports to China were zero, as compared to 1,093 metric tons for the same month a year earlier. While exports to Panama, Vietnam, Canada, Equatorial Guinea, and Ghana increased notably, shipments to Dominican Republic, Benin, Costa Rica, Colombia, UAE, Haiti, and Samoa decreased significantly.

Total egg exports (table eggs plus egg products in shell egg equivalent) for the first two months of 2023 decreased by 404.4 percent to 20.4 million dozen. The value of those exports increased by 34.9 percent to $51.8 million (Figure 3).

Cumulative exports of table eggs through February this year were 11.2 million dozen, down 9.3 percent from the same period of last year, while export value reached $30.4 million, up 96.9 percent. Of the total shipments, 89.3 percent or 10.0 million dozen were shipped to the top six export markets, namely Canada, Bahamas, Israel, Netherlands Antilles, United Kingdom, and Hong Kong.

Table egg exports for February 2022 were 5.6 million dozen, an increase of 4.4 percent from the same month a year earlier, while export value reached $13.4 million, up 86.2 percent, thanks largely to increase exports to Canada.February exports to Canada hit 3.3 million dozen, as compared to 0.3 million dozen for the same month of last year, while exports to Hong Kong were less than 0.2 million dozen, down 93.9 percent year over year.While exports to United Kingdom, Bahamas, Netherlands Antilles, and Israel increased notably, exports to Mexico, Taiwan, UAE, EU-27, and Oman decreased significantly.

For egg products, exports in January -February 2022 totaled 3,715 metric tons, down 29.3 percent from the same period of last year, while export value was $21.3 million, down 6.9 percent. Exports to the top six markets including Japan, Mexico, EU-27, Canada, South Korea, and Bahamas accounted for 93.0 percent or $19.8 million.

February exports of egg products were 2,064 metric tons, down 27.7 percent from February 2022, while export value reached $10.6 million, down 18.5 percent. Export sales to Japan reached $4.4 million, up 16.1 percent year over year, while exports to Mexico hit $2.3 million, up 94.4 percent. While exports to Thailand, UAE, Netherland Antilles, and Bahamas increased significantly, exports to Canada, EU-27, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Israel decreased notably. – By Dr. Renan Zhuang