“Despite a great deal of uncertainty, global demand for U.S. beef remains robust and resilient,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “The March export results confirm this, with demand trending higher in Taiwan and Mexico, reaching record levels in Central America and holding up well in Japan and Korea. Although we anticipate that China’s retaliatory tariffs and expired plant registrations will have a more drastic impact on April and May exports, the U.S. industry’s efforts to diversify markets and broaden U.S. beef’s global footprint are definitely paying dividends.”

March beef exports equated to $466.77 per head of fed slaughter, the seventh highest on record and topping last March’s robust average by 3%. The first-quarter per-head average was also up 3% to $421.56. Exports accounted for 14.8% of total March beef production and 12.5% for muscle cuts only – each down slightly from a year ago. First-quarter ratios were 13.8% of total production and 11.6% for muscle cuts, also down slightly from last year.

Source: USMEF