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2012 US Poultry and Egg Exports Set New Records

By Breakbulk Staff on February 14, 2013

US less dependent on Russia and China

Exports of U.S. poultry meat and eggs in 2012 set new industry records.

Combined export value of U.S. poultry meat and eggs reached US$5.72 billion in 2012, a 12 percent increase over 2011, according to year-end trade data released last week by the Foreign Agricultural Service.

“While our traditional markets of Mexico and Russia remained at the top of the broiler markets, there were numerous changes, such as Angola and Taiwan moving into the top 10 broiler markets and Mexico growth as a market for eggs,” Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council, said.

Sumner said the U.S. industry, which for years depended on a few behemoths such as Russia and China for a majority of its export sales, is now much less dependent on singular markets as new markets have opened and sales expand to the rest of the world.

For 2012, for example, double-digit declines in shipments of U.S. chicken meat to several markets, including Korea and Vietnam, were more than offset by increased sales to markets such as Mexico, Russia, Angola, Congo, Kazakhstan and Ghana.

Last year was also a record-setting year for total U.S. poultry meat exports in both quantity and value. Export value of U.S. poultry rose to nearly US$5.5 billion, an 11 percent over 2011, while quantity reached 4.1 million tonnes, a gain of 5 percent.

Meanwhile, 2012 U.S. egg exports also reached record levels. Total exports were 274.1 million dozen valued at US$263.7 million, representing increases of 24 and 35 percent over 2011, respectively.