US egg exports jump 27 percent in April

The United States exported 30.8 million dozen eggs and egg products in April, a 27 percent jump from the exports recorded during the same month in 2012. A strong demand for egg products in Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates were key to the increase, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook, released on June 18.
Egg and egg product shipments to Mexico reached 9.9 million dozen in April, accounting for 32 percent of U.S. egg exports. The April figures reflected the most shipments to Mexico since September 2012, three months after the avian influenza outbreak that hit two layer farms in Jalisco.
Exports to Canada and Hong Kong in April were up 18 and 24 percent, respectively, while exports to the United Arab Emirates were up 135 percent. 

2012 US poultry and egg exports break records

Thanks in large part to the poultry and egg industry’s ability to adapt to changing global marketplace dynamics, 2012 was a record-setting year for exports of U.S. poultry meat and eggs.
Combined export value of U.S. poultry meat and eggs reached $5.722 billion in 2012, 12 percent ahead of 2011, the previous record year, according to year-end trade data released by the Foreign Agricultural Service.
“The global landscape is in a constant state of transition,” said Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council. “While our traditional markets of Mexico and Russia remained at the top of the broiler markets, there were numerous changes, such as Angola and Taiwan moving into the top 10 broiler markets and Mexico growth as a market for eggs. The greatest benefit for our industry is a much greater balance than we’ve ever before realized.”
Sumner said the U.S. industry, which for years depended on a few behemoths such as Russia and China for a majority of its export sales, is now much less dependent on singular markets as new markets have opened and sales expand to the rest of the world.
“The only constant in the export marketplace is change,” he said. “And fortunately, our industry is very good at adapting to these changes. In 2008, for example, we exported products to 109 countries. In 2012, we shipped to 121 countries.”
For 2012, for example, double-digit declines in shipments of U.S. chicken meat to several markets, including Korea and Vietnam, were more than offset by increased sales to markets such as Mexico, Russia, Angola, Congo, Kazakhstan and Ghana.
The top six markets for U.S. broiler meat exports for 2012 were Mexico, 560,544 tons valued at $641.2 million, up 23 and 42 percent, respectively; Hong Kong, 296,085 tons valued at $396.2 million, down 46 and 47 percent; Russia, 266,995 tons valued at $301.7 million, up 25 and 23 percent; China, 239,897 tons valued at $283 million, up 149 and 137 percent; Angola, 182,027 tons valued at $214.4 million, up 11 and 18 percent; and Canada, 173,037 tons valued at $498.8 million, up 22 and 32 percent.
Last year was also a record-setting year for total U.S. poultry meat exports in both quantity and value. Export value of U.S. poultry climbed to nearly $5.5 billion, 11 percent over 2011, while quantity hit 4.1 million metric tons, up 5 percent. The quantity record was 0.6 percent higher than in 2008, the previous record year.
Meanwhile, 2012 U.S. egg exports also reached record levels. Total exports (table eggs plus processed egg products in shell-egg equivalents) were 274.1 million dozen valued at $263.7 million, up 24 and 35 percent from 2011, respectively.


Broiler meat exports in 2012, excluding chicken paws, set records in both quantity and value, reaching 3.3 million tons valued at $4.2 billion, up respectively 4 and 15 percent from 2011. Compared to the previous record set in 2008, U.S. broiler meat export quantity for 2012 increased by about 1 percent, while value rose by 17 percent.
Exports of chicken paws in 2012 reached 363,974 tons, an increase of 5 percent from the previous year, while export value was $450.1 million, down 10 percent from 2011. Of those exports, 53 percent went to Hong Kong, and 40 percent went to China.
U.S. turkey exports last year also reached record highs, with exports in 2012 climbing to 361,597 tons valued at $678.5 million, up 14 and 13 percent, respectively.
The top U.S. turkey markets are Mexico, 187,201 tons valued at $371.8 million, up 3 and 4 percent, respectively; China, 45,910 tons valued at $70.7 million, up 22 and 32 percent; the Philippines, 14,379 tons valued at $12.9 million, up 167 and 123 percent; Canada, 14,150 tons valued at $31.4 million, up 38 and 29 percent; and Hong Kong, 12,063 tons valued at $20.7 million, down 30 and 17 percent.
For table eggs, exports in 2012 were 127.6 million dozen valued at $122.6 million, up 54 and 59 percent, respectively, both records, and driven by increased shipments to Mexico, Hong Kong, and the European Union.
The top five export markets for table eggs are Hong Kong, 46.7 million dozen, up 30 percent; Canada, 26.1 million dozen, up 19 percent; Mexico, 16.6 million dozen vs. 1.3 million dozen in 2011; the U.A.E., 13 million dozen, up 66 percent; and the EU, 8.9 million dozen vs. 0.78 million dozen in 2011.
For egg products, 2012 was also a record-setting year, as total export value rose by 20 percent to $141 million.
Export value to Japan, the top export market for U.S. egg products, decreased by 28 percent to $45.1 million, accounting for 32 percent of U.S. total export value worldwide. Export value to the EU rose by 88 percent to $38.3 million, while sales to Mexico increased six-fold to $16.5 million. Exports to Canada increased 18 percent to $9.6 million, while exports to South Korea dipped by 7 percent to $4.1 million.
Total egg exports (table eggs plus egg products in shell egg equivalent) in 2012 set records in both volume and value. While export quantity hit 274.1 million dozen, an increase of 24 percent from the previous year, export value reached $263.7 million, up 35 percent from 2011.

2012 US poultry and egg exports break records

Thanks in large part to the poultry and egg industry’s ability to adapt to changing global marketplace dynamics, 2012 was a record-setting year for exports of U.S. poultry meat and eggs.
Combined export value of U.S. poultry meat and eggs reached $5.722 billion in 2012, 12 percent ahead of 2011, the previous record year, according to year-end trade data released by the Foreign Agricultural Service.
“The global landscape is in a constant state of transition,” said Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council. “While our traditional markets of Mexico and Russia remained at the top of the broiler markets, there were numerous changes, such as Angola and Taiwan moving into the top 10 broiler markets and Mexico growth as a market for eggs. The greatest benefit for our industry is a much greater balance than we’ve ever before realized.”
Sumner said the U.S. industry, which for years depended on a few behemoths such as Russia and China for a majority of its export sales, is now much less dependent on singular markets as new markets have opened and sales expand to the rest of the world.
“The only constant in the export marketplace is change,” he said. “And fortunately, our industry is very good at adapting to these changes. In 2008, for example, we exported products to 109 countries. In 2012, we shipped to 121 countries.”
For 2012, for example, double-digit declines in shipments of U.S. chicken meat to several markets, including Korea and Vietnam, were more than offset by increased sales to markets such as Mexico, Russia, Angola, Congo, Kazakhstan and Ghana.
The top six markets for U.S. broiler meat exports for 2012 were Mexico, 560,544 tons valued at $641.2 million, up 23 and 42 percent, respectively; Hong Kong, 296,085 tons valued at $396.2 million, down 46 and 47 percent; Russia, 266,995 tons valued at $301.7 million, up 25 and 23 percent; China, 239,897 tons valued at $283 million, up 149 and 137 percent; Angola, 182,027 tons valued at $214.4 million, up 11 and 18 percent; and Canada, 173,037 tons valued at $498.8 million, up 22 and 32 percent.
Last year was also a record-setting year for total U.S. poultry meat exports in both quantity and value. Export value of U.S. poultry climbed to nearly $5.5 billion, 11 percent over 2011, while quantity hit 4.1 million metric tons, up 5 percent. The quantity record was 0.6 percent higher than in 2008, the previous record year.
Meanwhile, 2012 U.S. egg exports also reached record levels. Total exports (table eggs plus processed egg products in shell-egg equivalents) were 274.1 million dozen valued at $263.7 million, up 24 and 35 percent from 2011, respectively.
Broiler meat exports in 2012, excluding chicken paws, set records in both quantity and value, reaching 3.3 million tons valued at $4.2 billion, up respectively 4 and 15 percent from 2011. Compared to the previous record set in 2008, U.S. broiler meat export quantity for 2012 increased by about 1 percent, while value rose by 17 percent.
Exports of chicken paws in 2012 reached 363,974 tons, an increase of 5 percent from the previous year, while export value was $450.1 million, down 10 percent from 2011. Of those exports, 53 percent went to Hong Kong, and 40 percent went to China.
U.S. turkey exports last year also reached record highs, with exports in 2012 climbing to 361,597 tons valued at $678.5 million, up 14 and 13 percent, respectively.
The top U.S. turkey markets are Mexico, 187,201 tons valued at $371.8 million, up 3 and 4 percent, respectively; China, 45,910 tons valued at $70.7 million, up 22 and 32 percent; the Philippines, 14,379 tons valued at $12.9 million, up 167 and 123 percent; Canada, 14,150 tons valued at $31.4 million, up 38 and 29 percent; and Hong Kong, 12,063 tons valued at $20.7 million, down 30 and 17 percent.
For table eggs, exports in 2012 were 127.6 million dozen valued at $122.6 million, up 54 and 59 percent, respectively, both records, and driven by increased shipments to Mexico, Hong Kong, and the European Union.
The top five export markets for table eggs are Hong Kong, 46.7 million dozen, up 30 percent; Canada, 26.1 million dozen, up 19 percent; Mexico, 16.6 million dozen vs. 1.3 million dozen in 2011; the U.A.E., 13 million dozen, up 66 percent; and the EU, 8.9 million dozen vs. 0.78 million dozen in 2011.
For egg products, 2012 was also a record-setting year, as total export value rose by 20 percent to $141 million.
Export value to Japan, the top export market for U.S. egg products, decreased by 28 percent to $45.1 million, accounting for 32 percent of U.S. total export value worldwide. Export value to the EU rose by 88 percent to $38.3 million, while sales to Mexico increased six-fold to $16.5 million. Exports to Canada increased 18 percent to $9.6 million, while exports to South Korea dipped by 7 percent to $4.1 million.
Total egg exports (table eggs plus egg products in shell egg equivalent) in 2012 set records in both volume and value. While export quantity hit 274.1 million dozen, an increase of 24 percent from the previous year, export value reached $263.7 million, up 35 percent from 2011.

US egg exports increase in December 2012

While U.S. exports for most meat products declined in December 2012, egg exports improved from November 2012 numbers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
According to the USDA’s Livestock and Meat Trade Data report, filed on February 11, U.S. egg exports reached a total of 25.654 million dozen in December 2012, up from 24.142 million dozen recorded in November 2012.
Shell egg exports made the biggest stride, increasing from 12.364 million dozen to 16.354 million dozen, more than offsetting the 2.478 million dozen export decline for egg products over the course of the month. The biggest gains were made through eggs shipped to Canada, Mexico and Hong Kong, while exports to Denmark were measured at 1.108 million dozen in November 2012, but none exported there in December 2012.
Total egg exports for December 2012 climbed nearly 4 million from 2011 numbers, according to the report.
Meanwhile, broiler exports saw a drop, going from 630.62 million pounds in November to 607.103 million pounds in December. The biggest losses were felt from Mexico, Malaysia and Jordan, with each dropping about 500,000 pounds. Exports to Malaysia stopped entirely, according to the report, and only 1,000 pounds were shipped to Jordan. The biggest gain was made in Colombia, where the shipments went from 54,000 pounds in November to 452,000 pounds in December.
Turkey exports dropped from 76.998 million pounds in November, to 63.479 million pounds in December. Beef and pork exports also dropped for the month.

US turkey, egg exports up in third quarter 2012

September U.S. turkey exports of 33,383 metric tons were valued at $58.9 million, up 25.1 and 11.7 percent from September 2011, respectively, thanks largely to increased shipments to China, Philippines, Peru, Benin, Mexico, Canada and Taiwan, according to the latest report from the Foreign Agricultural Service.
Cumulative turkey exports through the third quarter reached 263,487 metric tons valued at $489.4 million, up 15.4 percent in both volume and value. Export quantity and export value set year-on-year records, according to the report.
Exports to Mexico, the top U.S. turkey market, reached 138,006 metric tons valued at $271 million, up 7.5 percent and 6.3 percent year on year, respectively. Shipments to China, the second most important market for U.S. turkey, increased by 10.1 percent to 33,561 metric tons, while export value reached $52.2 million, up 27.9 percent, thanks to increased export prices to the Chinese market. Of the total exports, 76.8 percent (202,241 metric tons) were shipped to the top five markets—Mexico, China, Canada, Philippines and Hong Kong, with Mexico alone accounting for 52.4 percent.



Eggs and egg products
For table eggs, September exports were 17.83 million dozen valued at $18.57 million, up 124.6 percent and 162.7 percent year over year, respectively, thanks largely to increased shipments to Mexico, the EU, Canada and Hong Kong, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service report.
Cumulative exports of table eggs for the first three quarters of 2012 were 85.44 million dozen valued at $78.55 million, up 43.8 percent and 48.4 percent year on year, respectively. Of the total shipments, 87.2 percent (74.49 million dozen) were shipped to the top five export markets, namely Hong Kong, Canada, Mexico, United Arab Emirates and the EU.
For egg products, September exports were $12.89 million, up 5 percent from September 2011. While export value to Japan, the top export market for U.S. egg products, decreased by 42.6 percent to $4.45 million, exports to Mexico jumped to $3.02 million, as compared to $0.2 million in the same month in 2011. Also, exports to the EU and Canada increased significantly, according to the report.
Cumulative exports of egg products for the first nine months of 2012 were $106.30 million, up 15.6 percent year on year. Exports to EU-27 reached $34.95 million, more than doubled from the same period in 2011. Exports to Japan decreased by 29.8 percent to $34.06 million, accounting for 32 percent of U.S. total exports worldwide. While export value to South Korea decreased 13.6 percent year on year, export value to Mexico and Canada increased by 397.5 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively.
Total egg exports (table eggs plus egg products in shell egg equivalent) through the third quarter of 2012 were 195.68 million dozen, up 16.7 percent from the same period of 2011, while export value reached $184.85 million, up 27.6 percent.

US egg exports down slightly in August

Total U.S. egg exports (shell eggs and egg products) were the equivalent of 23.9 million dozen in August, down 1 percent from 2011, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture report.
Most of the decline was due to smaller exports to major markets such as Canada, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, but the reduction was also partially offset by higher exports to a number of European countries and Mexico. Egg production in Mexico has been heavily affected by an outbreak of avian influenza in Jalisco, its chief egg producing State. A large number of laying hens were destroyed and available supplies were greatly reduced.
U.S. shipments of shell eggs for consumption to Mexico totaled 760,000 dozen in August, up from only 23,000 dozen in August 2011, according to the USDA. U.S. shell egg exports to Mexico in August also included over 500,000 dozen hatching eggs. Shell egg exports for consumption to Mexico are expected to continue to be well above year-earlier levels for the next several months into 2013, as it will take some time for Mexican producers to rebuild their flocks to previous levels.
For more information and statistics on U.S. eggs, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

Mexico announces import quotas for US eggs

Mexico's Economic Secretariat has announced the import quota for eggs from the U.S., setting it at 211,000 metric tons of fresh eggs for human consumption and 24,400 metric tons of fresh eggs for industrial purposes under a "0 percent" tariff rate quota, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's International Egg and Poultry Review.
The Secretariat justified the implementation of the quotas in response to an outbreak of avian influenza in the state of Jalisco that prompted an increase in egg prices. Shell egg imports to Mexico from the U.S. in 2011 reached 1.29 million dozen, down slightly from 2010's 1.37 million dozen. Imports in the January–June 2012 period have reached 754,782 dozen so far, up from 2011's 653,735 dozen.
For more information and statistics about U.S. eggs, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

US poultry, egg exports set records in first half 2012

U.S. poultry meat exports for the first half of 2012 set year-on-year records in both quantity and value, according to data released by the Foreign Agricultural Service, led by significant increases in shipments to Mexico, Russia and other key markets.
Exports of U.S. chicken, turkey and duck for January through June reached more than 1.9 million metric tons valued at $2.6 billion, increased 12 and 22 percent, respectively, from the same period in 2011. Total poultry meat exports in June were 323,034 tons valued at $427 million, up 8 and 15 percent, respectively, from June 2011. Export value was the highest ever recorded for June. June exports of broiler meat (excluding chicken paws) totaled 269,129 tons, 12 percent above the same time in 2011, while export value rose more than $340 million, up 25 percent year over year. Exports surged to key markets such as Russia, Cuba, Angola, Mexico, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, while shipments to Canada, Iraq, China and Afghanistan also showed significant growth, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service report.
Cumulative broiler exports (excluding paws) for the first half of 2012 rose by 13 percent to 1.6 million metric tons, while value increased by 28 percent to more than $2 billion compared to 2011 numbers, both of which are year-on-year records. First-half broiler exports to Mexico rose by 18 percent to 264,072 tons, while shipments to Russia grew by 164 percent to 130,542 tons. Exports to Cuba hit 80,421 tons, up 233 percent, while shipments to Angola were 79,498 tons, a climb of 39 percent. Exports to other important markets were Canada, 78,745 tons, up 21 percent; Taiwan, 67,851 tons, up 13 percent; Hong Kong, 65,869 tons, up 38 percent; Iraq (including transshipments via Turkey), 64,027 tons, up 7 percent; Kazakhstan, 54,030 tons, up more than five-fold year-on-year; and China, 39,547 tons, up 61 percent.

Egg Exports
June table eggs exports were about 10 million dozen valued at $8.1 million, climbing 67 and 54 percent, respectively, thanks to larger shipments to Hong Kong and Angola, said the Foreign Agricultural Service. First-half table egg exports hit 49.6 million dozen valued at $43.7 million, up 34 and 31 percent, respectively. Of the total, 79 percent or 39 million dozen were shipped to the top five export markets of Hong Kong, Canada, the U.A.E., the Bahamas and Angola.
Exports of processed egg products in June reached $11.3 million, up 20 percent over June 2011. Even though the export value to Japan decreased by 8 percent to $3.7 million, value of shipments to the EU increased by 42 percent to $3.7 million, largely because of the lingering egg deficit in the EU. Cumulative export value of egg products in the first half of 2012 were $70 million, up 19 percent year-on-year. Exports to EU-27 increased by 120 percent to $26.7 million, accounting for 38 percent of U.S. total exports worldwide. Exports to Japan decreased by 25 percent to $21.8 million, accounting for 31 percent of U.S. total exports worldwide. While export value to South Korea decreased 24 percent year-on-year, export value to Canada and Mexico increased by 14 and 121 percent, respectively.
Total egg exports (table eggs plus egg products in shell egg equivalents) for the first half of 2012 were 122 million dozen, with an export value of $102.7 million, up 10 and 11 percent from the same period in 2011, respectively. Both export quantity and export value set year-on-year records.
For more information and statistics on U.S. poultry and eggs, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

US egg exports to Mexico expected to rise

Mexico has been one of the largest markets for U.S. egg exports for a number of years, and a recent outbreak of avian influenza in the largest shell-egg-producing state in that country could increase the demand for imported eggs, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its latest report.
To the extent this occurs, it may impact U.S. shell egg exports in the second half of 2012. However, said the USDA, it is uncertain whether higher exports to Mexico will be in addition to normal overall exports or if the shipments will come at the expense of lower shipments to other countries.
Total egg exports (shell eggs and egg products) were 24.7 million dozen in May, down 6 percent from 2011 numbers. Much of the decrease was due to much smaller shipments to Japan and South Korea. Exports to Japan in May totaled 2.8 million dozen, down 55 percent from the same time in 2011. Exports to Korea declined 69 percent to only 401,000 dozen. Egg exports to Korea had expanded in 2011 and May 2012's exports were more in line with what was exported to Korea in May 2010. These declines were partially offset by strong increases in shipments to Hong Kong and Israel.
Over the first five months of 2012, shell egg and egg product exports totaled 112 million dozen, 5 percent lower than the same period in 2011, according to the USDA. Shipments have expanded to Canada, Hong Kong and a number of EU countries, but these gains were offset by large declines to Japan (down 23 percent) and Korea (down 85 percent).
For more egg information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata/html.

US 2011 egg exports expand by 6.6 percent

U.S. egg exports in 2011 rose to 275.4 million dozen, up 6.6 percent from 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Much of the growth was due to higher shipments to a number of Asian markets. Exports to Canada declined by 11 percent, and Japan became the largest overall market for U.S. eggs and egg products. Although shipments to Canada fell, strong gains to Japan and Mexico more than offset the decline, according to the USDA. Exports to Mexico totaled 19.1 million dozen, 29 percent higher than the previous year.
In Asia, the biggest gains were from larger shipments to South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong. Together, these three countries accounted for 104 million dozen of U.S. egg and egg-product exports, 47 percent higher than the amount they imported in 2010. The value of egg exports increased even faster, with shipments totaling $408 million, an increase of 14 percent from 2010 numbers.
For more egg information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.