Japan Increases Wagyu Beef Exports
JAPAN - Japan exported 909 tonnes of beef in 2013, up 5.3 per cent from the previous year and the highest annual total on record according to data from Japan’s Ministry of Finance.
12 February 2014
1 minute read
Meat and Livestock Australia analysts said that while the Japanese volume in the global beef trade context is extremely small, its value – 6,437 yen, or A$68 per kilo – and the country’s commitment to develop a high quality beef reputation are attracting attention in the international trade.
Japanese beef exports, mainly high value Wagyu beef, have had challenges over the years, including an outbreak of BSE in 2001, Foot and Mouth Disease in 2010 and the 2011 radioactive contamination after the March 11 disaster.
However, substantial efforts and investments by the Japanese government, regional authorities and producers, saw a strong recovery in export volumes during 2012 and 2013.
In 2013, exports to the top destination, Hong Kong, grew six per cent year-on-year to 282 tonnes, while shipments to the US, Singapore and Thailand also increased, to 105 tonnes, up 279 per cent, 86 tonnes, up 41 per cent and 34 tonnes, up 185 per cent.
Shipments to Cambodia and Laos fell in 2013, reportedly due to the tightening of China’s ‘grey channel’.
Some of Japan’s other export markets include Canada, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, and Bangladesh. Japan’s Nikkei reported this month that the Japanese and Indonesian governments are jointly working to allow imports of Japanese beef into Indonesia.
TheCattleSite News Desk
