USMEF South American Expo (Click to download PDF form) | Worldwide | Jan.-N...

USMEF South American Expo (Click to download PDF form)

Worldwide

Jan.-Nov. 2002 Beef Muscle Cut Exports Up 6 Percent

Exports of U.S. beef muscle cuts for Jan.-Nov. 2002 were 6 percent higher in volume (752,373 metric tons (mt)) but 3 percent lower in value ($2.345 billion) compared to the same period of 2001, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A 27 percent decline in the volume of exports to Japan (229,675 mt) was offset by significant increases to South Korea (up 74 percent to 193,702 mt), Mexico (up 17 percent to 187,061 mt), Canada (up 5 percent to 75,884 mt), China/Hong Kong (up 55 percent to 21,598 mt) and Taiwan (up 21 percent to 12,928 mt).

Exports of U.S. beef variety meat fell 20 percent compared to last January-November to 368,620 mt. The Japanese market fell 58 percent to 73,135 mt and this hit the export statistics hard since Japan is the major market for U.S. beef tongues and intestines, items which don’t sell so well elsewhere. Beef variety meat exports increased to the other top markets, Mexico, Russia, and South Korea. Full details of U.S. beef exports are in the library section under Economics — Statistics.

Jan.-Nov. 2002 Pork Exports Up 3 Percent

Exports of U.S. pork muscle cuts for Jan.-Nov. 2002 were 3 percent higher in volume (501,255 mt) but three percent lower in value ($1.236 billion) compared to the same period in 2001. A small decline in the volume of exports to Mexico (down 2 percent to 103,698 mt) and a large fall in exports to Russia (down 48 percent to 13,331 mt) were offset by a 5 percent increase in exports to Japan (240,884 mt) and significant increases to Canada (up 3 percent to 59,253 mt), South Korea (up 74 percent to 19,383 mt), and China/Hong Kong (up 16 percent to 15,019 mt).

U.S. pork variety meat exports were 2 percent higher in volume (161,753 mt) and 6 percent lower in value ($147.4 million). The U.S. sent more pork variety meat to Mexico (up 20 percent to 96,099 mt), Canada (up 74 percent to 12,901 mt), Central and South America (up 35 percent to 2,784 mt) and South Korea (up 15 percent to 2,371 mt). Full details of U.S. pork exports are in the library section under Economics — Statistics.

Mexico

Antidumping Documents Available

On Jan 7, the Mexican government announced that an antidumping investigation was being initiated against imports of U.S. pork from April 1-September 30, 2002. A translation of the Mexico Ministry of Economy antidumping questionnaire is now available. It includes: general information and instructions, overviews in chart 1 and chart 2, definitions in “Annex” 2, 3 and 4, and forms “Annex 1” and “A.1-2” . Exporters and traders selling product to Mexico should review these documents and should consider whether to have their attorneys also review them. USMEF understands that the named companies selling product during the investigation period as well as any company that wants to try avoid being put into an “all others” category should fill out the forms and submit the requested data. Deadline for filing is Feb. 18. The official announcement is available online at http://www.segob.gob.mx/dof/dof_07-01-2003.pdf and begins on page 26 of this document. A preliminary translation – in which there may be still be interpretation errors – is available at http//www.usmef.org/Misc_News/03_0107_MexAntiDump_sp.pdf and a preliminary evaluation of the situation by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service office in Mexico City is available at http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200301/145785049.pdf.