The value of U.S. pork exports to China (including Hong Kong) fell 16 percent in the January-October period compared with a year ago, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation. For Mexico, the export value of U.S. pork shipments declined 9 percent in the same period.
Demand for U.S. pork could recover in 2019 given there have been widespread outbreaks of African swine fever in China since August, resulting in more than 630,000 pigs being destroyed. The incurable disease, which is not dangerous to humans, isn’t limited to China, since there have been several farms hit with the swine virus this year in Europe.
In the U.S. beef sector, the beef cow herd is expected to increase slightly next year as strong domestic and global demand continues.
“The beef cow herd is expected to remain pretty stable and potentially just increase a hair so we will still be under pressure from a lot of beef supplies,” said Kevin Kester, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and a California cattle rancher. “That’s why it’s important to keep our export markets going.”
The U.S. beef industry has seen record value exports this year to South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines, according to USMEF, the meat export trade group. But the industry faced a setback of sorts in July when China imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on American beef products on top of the 12 percent import levy that already existed.
“We’re not expanding probably what we would be doing (in China) if the tariffs weren’t there,” said Kester. “Right now the U.S. beef has a 37 percent tariff.”
But Kester said exports into the Hong Kong market “are exploding. We are going to be over $900 million (this year) into Hong Kong. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that probably quite a bit of that ends up in China someplace.”
from Just News Viral http://bit.ly/2V4D7NP
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