A record year for US poultry and egg exports
US poultry and egg exports reached a new record in value in 2013, up 3% over 2012 to $5.862 billion, according to year-end trade data released recently by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.
Also, 2013 was a record-setting year for exports of US chicken and turkey. Combined export value climbed to $5.527 billion, 1.3% ahead of 2012, while export quantity was 4.1 million metric tons, up 1%.
Meanwhile, total US egg exports last year (table eggs plus processed egg products in shell-egg equivalents) reached new records of 349 million dozen, an increase of 27%, with a value of $335.4 million, also up 27% from 2012.
For the first time, Mexico was the top US chicken, turkey and egg exports, with combined exports reaching nearly $1.3 billion, up 16.7%.
Exports of US broiler meat (excluding chicken paws) for 2013 also set records in quantity and value –3.3 million tons valued at $4.3 billion, up 1 and 2%, respectively.
Top broiler markets
Top markets for US broiler meat were Mexico, up 14% to 637,049 tons; Russia, up 4% to 276,127 tons; Angola, up 14% to 206,868 tons; and Canada, down 2% to 168,793 tons.
Exports to other important markets were Iraq, 164,707 tons, up 24%; Cuba, 138,933 tons, down 8%; China, 131,133 tons, up 38%, Taiwan, 96,233 tons, down 19%; Georgia, 86,280 tons, up 4%; and Guatemala, 78,777 tons, up 12%.
Exports of chicken paws in 2013 reached 299,833 tons, a decrease of 18% from the previous year, while export value was $372.6 million, down 17%. Of total paw shipments, 50% went to China, up 3.8% from 2012, and 34% went to Hong Kong, down 47%.
Total broiler meat (including paws) exports in 2013 were 3.6 million tons valued at $4.6 billion, 43% of which went to the top five markets of Mexico, China, Russia, Angola, and Hong Kong.
Turkey exports
Although exports of US turkey last year slipped by 5% to 343,814 tons, value rocketed to a record of $687 million, up by 1% over 2012, according to FAS statistics.
As it has for more than two decades, Mexico remains the top destination for US turkey. Shipments to Mexico last year dipped by 1% to 185,898 tons, while value rose by 2% to $379.6 million. Exports to second-leading market China, meanwhile, fell by 6% to 43,240 tons, while value inched up by 1% to $71.1 million.
The top five markets of Mexico, China, Canada, the Philippines and Benin accounted for 75% of total US turkey exports, with Mexico alone accounting for 54%.
Table eggs
Exports of US table eggs in 2013 were an all-time high – 187.93 million dozen valued at $184.24 million, up 47.7 and 50.4% from 2012, respectively – thanks largely to increased shipments to Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The top markets for US table eggs in 2013 were Mexico, 62.2 million dozen, up from 17 million dozen in 2012; Hong Kong, 51.4 million dozen, up 11%; Canada, 39.3 million dozen, up 50%; the UAE., 11.4 million dozen, down 11%; the European Union, 8.6 million dozen, down 2%.
For US processed egg products, 2013 was also a record year for exports, rising 7% over 2012 to $151.2 million. Exports to top market Japan increased by 11% to $50.2 million, accounting for 33% of the US total export value of egg products.
Exports to Mexico, meanwhile, rose by 129% to $37.7 million, while export value to the EU decreased by 60% to $15.5 million. Exports to Canada increased 50% to $14.4 million, while exports to Hong Kong were up 22% to $3.9 million.
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