DENVER — Booming pork demand in Mexico carried US pork exports through another month of record performance, according to data released by the US Department of Agriculture and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Meanwhile, October beef exports improved from last month, led by stronger demand in Mexico and Taiwan, but remained well below last year’s large totals.

“At a time when the US pork industry needs to maximize revenue, I run out of superlatives when talking about the remarkable demand we are seeing in Mexico,” said Dan Halstrom, USMEF president and chief executive officer. “Pork exports are also achieving excellent growth across the Western Hemisphere and retaking market share in the Asia-Pacific.”

October pork exports totaled 245,345 metric tonnes, up 3% from a year earlier and the largest since June. Value reached $688.2 million, a drop of 2% year-over-year.

Shipments to leading market Mexico achieved new heights for both volume and value. Export volume jumped 19% to 100,867 tonnes, and value climbed 9% to a record $221.1 million.

Pork exports to Colombia were the largest since mid-2022 and reached the highest value in nearly two years. Shipments to Central America were among the largest on record, including record-large shipments to Guatemala.

Additionally, USMEF reported increased exports year-over-year to the Dominican Republic, South Korea and Oceania.

October beef exports totaled 104,446 metric tonnes, down 17% from last year but 6% above the low volume posted in September. Export value yielded $836 million, an 11% drop year-over-year.

“On the beef side, economic headwinds in our largest Asian markets continue to weigh on demand, as consumers trade down to lower-priced proteins,” Halstrom said. “The recovery in Asia’s foodservice sector has been limited, but we remain hopeful that it will accelerate in 2024. Recent efforts to jump-start economic activity in these countries and address weakened currencies could also improve the business climate.”

After a slow start to the year, Taiwan’s demand for US beef fared better in the second and third quarters, with October exports totaling 4,923 metric tonnes and $54.6 million. The United States continues to be a dominant supplier of chilled beef to Taiwan, capturing 76% of the chilled import market.

A vibrant foodservice sector and a strong peso combined to provide powerful momentum for US beef exports to Mexico in October, the USMEF report noted. While Mexico remains a preferred destination for underutilized cuts from the round, cuts from the chuck and rib complex are also achieving heightened demand. Exports increased 13% from a year ago to 18,456 metric tonnes, while value climbed 27% to $108.4 million.

Other markets where US beef exports saw significant year-over-year increases include Europe, Africa and Central America — with a record volume for Costa Rica. Japan, South Korea and China continued to trend lower.

While achieving growth in Central America, US lamb exports trended lower overall in October, falling 47% from last year in volume to 182 metric tonnes and 28% in value to $1.13 million. Growth in Central America was driven by demand in Costa Rica and Guatemala, which was offset by lower shipments to the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada.