USDA’s red meat export data for September, delayed by the recent government shutdown, showed a fairly steady performance for U.S. pork exports, matching year-ago value while down slightly in volume.
Pork exports totaled 233,816 metric tons (mt) in September, down 2% from a year ago, reports the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Export value held steady at $683.9 million, highlighted by the highest value on record for Mexico (nearly $260 million). The value of pork muscle cut exports trended higher in September ($586.2 million, up 1%), but pork variety meat exports declined, due in part to China’s retaliatory tariffs. Excluding China, September pork and pork variety meat exports were 4% above last year.
“We are encouraged by the robust and resilient global demand for U.S. pork – especially in Mexico, but also in a broad range of international markets,” says USMEF president and CEO Dan Halstrom.
Through the first three quarters of the year, pork exports were 3% below the record pace of 2024 in both volume (2.16 million mt) and value ($6.16 billion), and down just 1% when excluding China.
September pork export value equated to $62.29 per head slaughtered, down 4% from a year ago, while the January-September average was $65.17, down 1.5% from last year’s record pace. Exports accounted for 27.8% of total September pork production and 24% of muscle cuts, down from 29.6% and 25.4%, respectively, in September 2024. The January-September ratios were 29.7% of total production and 25.9% for muscle cuts, each down slightly from a year ago.
Mexico Led Strong September for Pork
Exports to leading market Mexico, which have already topped $2 billion in value in 2025, and to Central America, are expected to reach new annual highs. January-September shipments also increased year-over-year to Colombia, the Caribbean, Hong Kong and Vietnam.
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