Shipments to China increased in May while those to the US declined

Uncertainty caused by the increase in US import tariffs and the improvement in export prices to China led to a rise in shipments to the latter and a decrease in placements to the former. According to export application data from Customs, in May Uruguay shipped 13,443 tons of chilled beef to China and 11,508 tons to the United States. Compared to April, the volume sent to China rose by over 3,000 tons while shipments to the US fell by around 1,500 tons.

Nonetheless, the United States remains the main destination for Uruguayan beef so far this year in both volume and revenue, with shipments totaling 59,012 tons and US$ 413 million, while China imported 58,680 tons for US$ 259 million.

Customs data indicate that Uruguay exported 36,541 tons of chilled beef in May at an average price of US$/t 6,996, totaling 165,538 tons in the first five months of the year. Volume grew by 2.6% year-on-year and the average value by 19.6%.