Audio Report: China's Soaring Demand for U.S. Beef Complements Well-Established Markets

With market access improvements secured through the Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement, U.S. beef exports to China gained significant traction for the first time in 2020 and have surged this year, reaching 138,000 metric tons through September valued at more than $1.1 billion.

U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Economist Erin Borror explains that export growth to China has not come at the expense of well-established markets like Japan and South Korea, where demand for U.S. beef remains very strong. In fact, she notes that exports to Japan, Korea and the combined China/Hong Kong market will each top $2 billion this year and global exports are likely to reach $10 billion – shattering the previous record of $8.33 billion set in 2018.

Borror adds that even with this strong demand from China, the U.S. industry remains far less dependent on the Chinese market than most beef-exporting countries, noting that U.S. exports have achieved broad-based growth this year and domestic demand for U.S. beef is also robust.

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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations. USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law. USMEF is an equal opportunity employer and provider.