Beef export value at 32 month high

The average export value for fresh beef recorded a significant jump in April. According to Customs export requests, Uruguay shipped 33,062 tons at an average FOB price of US$ 6,850 per ton; compared with March, volume rose by about 3,000 tons while the average price climbed a robust 7 percent, almost US$ 500/t, reaching its highest level since September 2022, 32 months ago.

Exports of frozen beef to the United States were unaffected by the extra 10 percent tariff imposed by the Trump administration. Uruguay shipped 12,712 tons to that market, 1,716 t more than in March and almost double the volume of boneless frozen beef sent to China, which totaled 6,532 t. The average FOB price of boneless frozen beef to the United States was US$ 6,699/t, 2.7 percent higher than in March and February. It therefore continued to rise despite the additional tariff cost, indicating that the entire extra cost is paid by the consumer.

Shipments to China continue to face tuff competition from the United States in the boneless segment. In the first four months of the year, 27,007 t of boneless frozen beef were shipped to the Asian country, 28 percent less than in the same period of 2024. Shipments to the United States increased by 62 percent over the same period. In addition, 3,734 t of bone in frozen beef were shipped to China, bringing the four month total to 18,243 t, an annual decline of 12 percent.

Canada and the Netherlands ranked third in April for frozen beef exports, with more than 900 t each.