Another record for Australian beef exports in July

Australia exported 150,435 tons of beef during July, another record for the country, just behind the prior one achieved in June.

Beef Central said that Australian beef exports had never previously exceeded 130,000t before October last year, but have continued to surge since then. Last month’s record tonnage was 16pc higher than July last year – which itself was an all-time record at the time, of just short of 130,000t.

For the calendar year ended July 31, Australian beef exports to all markets have now reached 852,653t, up an incredible 121,000t or almost 16pc on the same seven months last year.

According to Beef Central, the recent boom in export tonnage is being driven by a perfect storm:

• 70-year low cattle numbers in the United States, which is powering demand for Australian beef not only in the US itself, but also into third countries in which product from Australia and the US traditionally competes

• Impacts from Trump tariffs on export suppliers like Brazil, with Brazilian beef now all but considered unviable in the US market under an additional 50pc tariff burden, on top of the existing rate of 26.4pc.

• Trade access issues into China for some export suppliers, especially the US

• Strong continued underlying demand for beef in general.