Denver — "The upward trend in U.S. red meat exports that began in the ...

Denver — "The upward trend in U.S. red meat exports that began in the 1980s and was sustained throughout the 1990s is still the most encouraging feature for the U.S. beef and pork industries at the dawn of the new millennium," said Philip Seng, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) on the release of the 1999 export figures by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). "The partnership the U.S. beef industry has forged with USMEF — the beef and pork checkoff fund and the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) — bears fruit today in the great success story of exports. Once again, U.S. beef and beef variety meat exports have set a new record, and for the second successive year, the United States exported more than 500,000 metric tons (mt) of pork and pork variety meats to countries around the world."

The U.S. beef industry exported 1,113,600 mt of beef and beef variety meats in 1999, topping 1998 by nine percentage points. U.S. beef exports were worth more than $3.2 billion in 1999, a 14 percent increase over 1998. Although U.S. pork exports were 4 percent less in volume and 2 percent less in value than the record-breaking year, 1998, exports of 506,313 mt of U.S. pork and pork variety meats were better than any other year except for 1998 (see attached tables).

Seng noted that the largest market for U.S. beef and pork exports, Japan, is still being developed by the U.S. industry. "Increasing U.S. exports to Japan are fueled by the willingness and ability of U.S. packers to diversify the cuts they are selling to Japanese retailers and restaurants. The industry has entered a new phase: U.S. red meat exports are increasingly determined by the customer. By getting to know our customers — importers, buyers, retailers — by listening to what they're saying and by responding to their needs, the U.S. industry's exports are becoming more customer-driven."

Seng added: "Through seminars teaching the use of a more diverse range of cuts and the U.S. packers' ability to supply those cuts, we continue our work to increase the U.S. share of Japan's import market. Our consumer surveys in Japan and the other important markets of the Pacific Rim add to the industry's knowledge of the markets and the current trends. They give us vital information on how our products are perceived and how well our message is reaching the consumer.

"To utilize the most modern technological tools available, we have established the USMEF Veritas Marketing Database. It provides detailed foreign marketing and company information for USMEF exporting members. Good market intelligence is one reason for the success story of U.S. red meat exports. USMEF's Veritas Marketing is a state of the art intelligence tool which brings together U.S. packers and overseas buyers."

"This is also our best ever year for U.S. beef exports to South Korea," Seng added. "We have exceeded in volume and in value the pre-crisis record of 1995. When the South Korean economy plunged into crisis, our analysis showed us that the United States had an advantage in exporting chilled beef and pork to South Korea, which our competitors did not share. Our marketing and promotional efforts were mainly directed to that end. Now that the Korean economy is in recovery, sales of U.S. products, especially chilled items, will continue the strong growth experienced in 1999."

Seng also noted that Mexico's continuing economic recovery and the industry's extensive marketing efforts to promote U.S. beef and pork have yielded a second consecutive record year for exports south of the border. "USMEF, in alliance with the beef industry and our funding partners, never doubted that Mexico would rebound after the 1994 peso devaluation," added Seng. "We foresaw that our efforts to increase our market share and adapt our programs to current conditions would pay dividends down the road. Two consecutive years of record exports and Mexican purchases of higher-valued items are our reward."

Seng also emphasized the importance of continuing to expand the range of U.S. meat cuts for export. "The new U.S. meat training facilities in Singapore and Shanghai," said Seng, "are important tools in expanding the range of U.S. cuts in Asia. In order to share information about the profitability and various menu uses of U.S. meat products, chefs at the Singapore facility learn about the quality attributes of select U.S. meat cuts, innovative cooking techniques and the latest trends in cuisine. A current focus of the program is on how to use less expensive cuts of U.S. meat in regional cuisine and in developing menu placements. The new Shanghai facility teaches Chinese and other Asian retail meat managers how to market specific U.S. cuts. It also reflects our long-term commitment to the Chinese market and our confidence in future trade with China."

The U.S. Meat Export Federation is a national trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. For its programs, USMEF receives funding and support from USDA, exporting companies and the beef, pork, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs. Headquartered in Denver, USMEF has offices in Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Mexico City and London. USMEF also has special market representatives covering China, the Middle East, South America, the former Soviet Union and the Caribbean.