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Dairy Market Drivers: SNAP Program Driving Dairy Demand; an Update on U.S. Cheese Exports; and Inflation in a Minute!

Apr 17, 2026

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The U.S. exported 129 million pounds of cheese in February - a new single-month record for U.S. cheese exports. And that was during the shortest month of the year! Shipments were up 30% from the prior February, with 30 million additional pounds of U.S. cheese exported.
Mexico is the biggest buyer of U.S. cheese, and February sales reached a record high there, too. Nearly 46 million pounds were purchased by our neighbor to the south.
Volume to Latin America (not including Mexico) topped 28 million pounds, 41% higher year-over-year. Most of that volume moved into Central America, with Guatemala receiving 6 million pounds. Another noteworthy customer, Japan, increased shipments in February by 67% to reach nearly 11 million pounds.
Competitive prices keep U.S. cheese moving overseas. In early April, U.S. cheese averaged $1.63 per pound. That compared to $1.86 per pound in Europe and $2.16 in New Zealand. With continued growth in U.S. milk production and cheese processing capacity, export demand is the main puzzle piece that keeps inventory from building and prices from slipping further.

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