December exports of U.S. pork were up 3 percent from a year ago to 188,410 metric tons (mt). Export value was $468.9 million, down 13 percent from a year ago but the highest since May.
For the full calendar year, pork exports were down 2 percent from a year ago in volume (2.13 million mt) and 16 percent lower in value ($5.58 billion). Pork muscle cut exports increased 3 percent in volume (1.7 million mt) while falling 15 percent in value ($4.77 billion), but pork variety meat exports declined significantly in both volume (434,661 mt, down 17 percent) and value ($808.4 million, down 22 percent). However, as USMEF has previously noted, year-over-year comparisons, especially for pork variety meat, may not be entirely accurate due to issues with 2014 data for Japan.
Pork exports accounted for 24 percent of total 2015 production and 21 percent for muscle cuts only — down from 26.5 percent and 22 percent, respectively, in 2014. Export value per head slaughtered averaged $48.31, down 23 percent from 2014.
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