Fueled by a near-record performance in Taiwan and a rebound in South Korea, August exports of U.S. beef increased year-over-year, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation. August pork exports were lower than a year ago, primarily due to a sharp decline in shipments to Mexico compared to the large totals posted in August 2025.
Taiwan, Korea, Middle East drive strong August beef export value
Beef exports reached 86,362 metric tons (mt) in August, up 4% from a year ago, while export value climbed 13% to $785.9 million. In addition to year-over-year growth in Taiwan and Korea, August exports also trended higher to the Middle East, the ASEAN region, Colombia and Cote d’Ivoire, while volumes were steady to Mexico and Central America. Export value increased to Japan and the Caribbean in August, despite lower volumes. Beef exports to China were above last year’s minimal total, but still reflected ongoing technical trade barriers.
“USMEF expected to see stronger beef exports to Korea in the second half of the year, as reflected in the August data,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “And I cannot say enough about the outstanding demand in Taiwan, which has truly been a star performer for U.S. beef in 2026. As for China, the August increase is just a fraction of what would be possible in that market, especially since Australian beef has faced a 55% safeguard tariff since June 20. But China still needs to relist suspended facilities and the U.S. industry needs further clarity on technical requirements before beef exports to China will significantly rebound.”
For January through August, beef exports were down 7% year-over-year in volume (721,150 mt) and were just 1% lower in value ($6.32 billion). This decline is largely attributable to lower exports to China compared to the early months of 2025, before market access obstacles began to heavily impact U.S. exports. When excluding China from the January-August results, beef exports were 1% below last year in volume but 6% higher in value.
With decline in Mexico, August pork exports were lower year-over-year
U.S. pork exports totaled 222,243 mt in August, down 6% from a year ago, while value fell 12% to $606.3 million. Most of this decline was due to lower shipments to Mexico, where domestic pork production has rebounded and demand for hams has softened in recent months. August pork exports trended higher than a year ago to Central America, Colombia and the Caribbean – growth markets where exports are on a record pace in 2026. But these results were offset by lower shipments to Mexico, Japan, Korea, China, Oceania and the ASEAN region.
“U.S. pork has had a remarkable run in Mexico, though pork variety meat exports suffered a setback during the pseudorabies-related restrictions that heavily restricted shipments from May through July, and we have seen softer demand for pork muscle cuts in recent weeks,” Halstrom explained. “These trends really underscore the importance of market diversification and illustrate why the U.S. industry is constantly working to identify and develop additional destinations for U.S. pork. These efforts are paying tremendous dividends in markets like Colombia, Central America and the Dominican Republic, and it is critical that we continue to strive for similar success in more regions throughout the world.”
For January through August, pork exports remained 1% higher than a year ago at 1.95 million mt, while value was steady at $5.47 billion. Compared to the record pace of 2024, exports were down 2% in volume and were 4% lower in value.
USMEF news release
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