Beef Highlights:

October 2025:

Beef: 67,885 mt, -16%; $648 million, -16%
BVM: 25,563 mt, +6% and the highest since January; $111 million, +27% and the highest since July 2022
Beef + BVM: 93,448 mt, -11% but the highest since June; $760 million, -12% and also the highest since June

January – October 2025:

Beef: 730,947 mt, -12% and the lowest since 2016; $6.929 billion, -11% and the lowest since 2020
BVM: 218,524 mt, -9% and the lowest since 2005; $858 million, -7% and the lowest since 2021
Beef + BVM: 949,471 mt, -11% and the lowest since 2015; $7.787 billion, -10% and the lowest since 2020

October beef muscle cut exports totaled 67,885 mt, up 12% from the low volume in September and the highest since July but down 16% or -13,265 mt from 2024. 

• Compared to the previous year, October beef muscle cut exports were higher year-over-year to Canada (+1,623 mt), Taiwan (+1,388 mt), Japan (+574 mt), ASEAN (+567 mt), South America (+472 mt), Middle East (+246 mt), EU 27 + UK (+201 mt), CIS (+6 mt), and exports edged higher to the Caribbean (+16%).  Exports were lower to China/HK (-13,482 mt), South Korea (-2,699 mt), Mexico (-1,802 mt), Central (-315 mt), and Africa (-8 mt).
• Exports to South Korea jumped to over 24,000 mt in May, which was the highest level in nearly two years, as the market absorbed product that would have been exported to China.  Exports eased to 18,817 mt in June, but that was still up 3% from last year (but down from June volumes from 2021 – 2023).  Exports were 19,302 mt in July, up 16% from last year and above 2023 (but still down from the July volumes from 2018 – 2022).  Exports slowed to 16,458 mt in August, which was the lowest volume in a year (but up 1% year-over-year).  In September, exports to Korea slowed to 14,201 mt, down 18% from last year and the lowest since June 2017.  Exports rebounded somewhat from the previous month and totaled 16,043 mt in October, but that was down 14% year-over-year.
• October exports to Japan increased by 6% from September, but October shipments were the second lowest of the year so far (following the typical seasonal pattern).  Shipments were above year-ago levels for the first time since May in October and were up 4% from 2024’s low total.
• In October, beef exports to Mexico totaled 7,231 mt, down 20% from 2024 and below year-ago levels for the seventh consecutive month.
• October exports to Canada jumped to 8,343 mt, up 24% year-over-year and the highest since July 2024.
• Exports to Taiwan were the highest in since June and the second highest so far this year at 5,280 mt in October, up 36% from 2024’s low total.
• September combined exports to China/HK dropped to 3,846 mt, down 75% from 2024 or down 11,360 mt.  This was the lowest combined volume since 2012.  In October, volumes rebounded modestly to 4,345 mt, which was down 76% from last year or down 13,482 mt.  This was more in line with the reported volumes for July and August.  Exports to China were 560 mt in October, up from 486 mt in September (which was the lowest since 2020) but down 96% or -14,450 mt from 2024.  Exports to HK were 3,785 mt, up 34% or +968 mt from 2024 and the highest since October 2021.
• For the ASEAN region, exports to the Philippines were 1,085 mt in October (down 40.5% year-over-year) after holding above 1,400 mt for the six previous months.  Exports increased to other markets, with exports to Indoneisa totaled 2,190 mt, up 44% year-over-year and the highest since 2022.  Exports to Vietnam (712 mt, +210%) were the highest since November 2024, exports to Singapore (751 mt, +41%) set a new monthly record, and exports to Cambodia (119 mt, +68%) were the highest since 2022 as import duties on meat were eliminated.
• For the Caribbean, exports to the DR totaled 745 mt in October, up 3.5% year-over-year.  Exports to Cuba have slowed since the second half of 2024, and no exports were reported to Cuba in May and June 2025 for the first time since April 2023.  In July, 25 mt of exports were reported to Cuba, compared to 154 mt in 2024, and in August, just 1 mt was reported, compared to 165 mt in 2024.  There were no exports reported to Cuba in September, down from 165 mt.  In October, 1 mt was reported, down from 174 mt in 2024.
• Exports to Guatemala are on a record pace for the 11^th consecutive year in 2025.  In October, exports totaled 941 mt, the second highest of the year but down 4% from the large total in October 2024.
• For South America, exports to Chile slowed to 258 mt, the lowest since March, but volumes were up 6% year-over-year.  Exports to Colombia rebounded to 538 mt in October, the highest since February 2024 before the market closed temporarily to certain states related to HPAI. 
• In September, exports to the UAE were the highest since March at 597 mt.  In October, volumes totaled 368 mt, up 291% from 2024 when Q4 volumes were minimal.

October beef variety meat exports were the highest since January at 25,563 mt, up 6% or +1,444 mt from October 2024.   

• In October, bvm exports were higher than last year to Japan (+2,308 mt), Canada (+520 mt), Africa (+375 mt), Mexico (+271 mt), and the Caribbean + DR (+97 mt), while exports were lower to China/HK (-925 mt), South America (-481 mt), Middle East (-423 mt), South Korea (-249 mt), ASEAN (-234 mt), and Central America (-11 mt).
• BVM exports to Mexico jumped to 10,961 mt in October, up nearly 2,500 from the previous month and the highest since January.  Shipments were up 2.5% from the previous year in October, the first time that bvm exports were above year-ago levels since June. 
• Exports to Canada jumped to 1,049 mt in October, the highest since March and nearly double the previous year’s volume.
• Volumes to Japan also surged in October and totaled 5,363 mt, the highest since July 2022.  Shipments were up 76% or +2,300 mt from the previous year.
• Exports ot South Korea rebounded to 647 mt in October, down 28% from last year but the highest since May.
• Combined bvm exports to China/HK rebounded from 818 mt in August to 1,147 mt in September, which was down 53% from 2024.  In October, exports rebounded further to 1,741 mt, which was the highest since March but was down 35% year-over-year.
• Exports to China were just 24 mt in October, down 99% or -1,923 mt from 2024, while exports to HK were 1,717 mt, up 139% or +1,000 mt from last year and the highest since 2019.
• For the ASEAN region, 281 mt of exports were reported to Indonesia, down from 328 mt last in 2024 but the highest since February.  Exports to the Philippines slowed to 93 mt, the lowest since March and down 24% from last year.
• For South America, exports to Peru were 191 mt, the lowest since April and down 75% from 2024’s large volume of nearly 800 mt.
• BVM exports to Jamaica slowed to 88 mt in October, the lowest since December 2023 and down 60.5% from over 220 mt the previous year.
• After nearing 4,000 mt in January and holding over 3,000 mt in both February and March, BVM exports to Egypt dropped to just 2,476 mt in April and 2,656 mt in May.  However, volumes rebounded in June to 3,522 mt.  Volumes slowed again in July to 2,733 and August volumes totaled 2,980 mt.  In September, volumes rebounded to 3,297 mt, up 42% year-over-year and the highest in three months.  October shipments totaled 3,012 mt, down 13% year-over-year.
• Negligible volumes have been shipped to South Africa since Q4 of 2024, and no exports were reported in June or July.  Exports of 132 mt were reported in August, and exports of 136 mt were reported in September.  October exports reached 252 mt, the highest since September 2024.  Exports to Cote d’Ivoire were 349 mt in October, up 89% and the highest in three months.  Exports to Gabon were 306 mt in October, the highest since April and up 26% year-over-year.

 January – October beef muscle cut + variety meat exports totaled 949,471 mt, down 11% or -116,661 mt from 2024.  Exports were higher year-over-year to South Korea (+5,624 mt), Africa (+1,319 mt), South America (+528 mt), EU 27 + UK (+252 mt), and CIS (+32 mt), and exports were steady to Central America.  Exports were lower to China/HK (-81,014 mt), Mexico (-20,120 mt), ASEAN (-8,105 mt), Japan (-4,516 mt), Taiwan (-3,924 mt), Canada (-2,905 mt), Middle East (-2,541 mt), Caribbean + DR (-1,210 mt),   

October 2025 beef exports accounted for 9.1% of production and 11.7% when adding variety meats, compared to 10.3% and 12.5% in October 2024.  January – October 2025 beef exports accounted for 10.5% of production and 12.8% when adding variety meats, compared to 11.5% and 13.8% for January – October 2024. 

October 2025 beef export value per head of fed slaughter averaged $364.78/head, down 4% or -$16.20/head from $380.98/head in October 2024.  January – October 2025 beef export value per head of fed slaughter averaged $390.28/head, down 5% or -$20.75/head from $411.03/head for January – October 2024. 

Source: USMEF