U.S. poultry and egg exports continue on record pace for 2013

U.S. broiler (including paws) exports in January-September since 1990. Source: USDA/FAS GATS database.
Although U.S. poultry exports through the third quarter of 2013 continued on a record pace, growing marginally in quantity and value over the same period last year, combined exports of table eggs and processed egg products reached historical highs, according to trade data released in November by the Foreign Agricultural Service.
Total January-September poultry exports reached year-on-year records of 3.077 million metric tons valued at $4.152 billion, up 1 percent and 3 percent, respectively.
Combined U.S. exports of eggs and processed egg products through the third quarter of the year, measured in shell-egg equivalents, reached 250.5 million dozen, up 28 percent from the same period in 2012, while export value hit $245.61 million, up 33 percent. Both export quantity and export value set year-on-year records.
September exports of U.S. broiler meat (excluding paws) dipped by 1 percent to 276,135 tons, while value rose by less than a percent to $354.5 million, compared to September 2012.
Cumulative January-September broiler meat exports (excluding chicken paws) reached 2.5 million tons, up 2 percent, valued at $3.21 billion, up 4 percent. Both export quantity and value set year-on-year records.
Exports to key markets for the period included Mexico, 484,958 tons, up 19 percent; Russia, 213,316 tons, up 3 percent; Angola, 148,256 tons, up 20 percent; and Canada, 127,648 tons, up 0.2 percent.
Shipments to other important markets included Cuba, 110,757 tons, down 1 percent; China, 104,113 tons, up 59 percent; Iraq, 120,613 tons, up 23 percent; Taiwan, 68,099 tons, down 31 percent; Georgia, 59,550 tons, up 1 percent; and Guatemala, 59,082 tons, up 14 percent.
September exports of U.S. turkey meat slipped by 10 percent from September 2012 to 30,052 tons. Export value, meanwhile, rose by 1 percent to $59.9 million.
Cumulative January-September turkey meat exports fell by 4 percent to 252,700 tons, while export value rose by 2 percent to $496.8 million. Export value for the three quarters set a year-on-year record, while quantity was the second-highest ever.


U.S. exports of table eggs and egg products (in shell egg equivalent) in January-September since 1990. Source: USDA/FAS GATS database.
The main reason for the dip in export quantity was a decline in exports of U.S. turkey to the top market of Mexico. Shipments dropped by just over 3 percent to 133,635 tons, which was offset by a rise in export value to $271.9 million. Shipments to China, the second-largest U.S. turkey market, were 34,385 tons valued at $53.9 million, up 3 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Top markets included Mexico, China, Canada, South Africa, and the Philippines.
September exports of chicken paws fell by 19 percent to 25,046 tons, while export value declined by 12 percent to $31.1 million. Shipments of paws to mainland China decreased by 40 percent to 12,978 tons, while exports to Hong Kong increased by 9 percent to 8,947 tons.
Cumulative January-September paw exports fell by 17 percent to 229,069 tons, while value dropped by 20 percent to $279.7 million. China and Hong accounted for 82 percent of U.S. export quantity of paws.
Exports of U.S. table eggs for September slipped by 8 percent to 16.5 million dozen, while value declined by 13 percent to $16.1 million.
Cumulative January-September exports of table eggs were up 65 percent in quantity and 71 percent in value to 140.29 million dozen and $134.71 million, respectively. Top export markets included Mexico, Hong Kong, Canada, the U.A.E., and the European Union.
For egg products, September exports were $10.74 million, down 18 percent from September 2012. Export value to Japan, the top export market for U.S. egg products, dipped 12.7 percent to $3.89 million. Export value to key markets of Canada increased slightly, while shipments to Mexico and the EU were down significantly from the September 2012.
Cumulative exports of egg products for January through September rose by 4 percent to $110.89 million. Exports to top market Japan increased by 5 percent to $35.62 million, accounting for 32.1 percent of total U.S. exports of egg products. Exports to Mexico quadrupled from 2012 to $28 million, while exports to the EU plummeted by 63.6 percent to $12.8 million. While exports to Canada increased by 53.7 percent to $9.5 million, exports to Hong Kong were up by 34 percent to $2.9 million.