Brazil continues to dominate beef export market - AHDB report
Exports from key South American nations expected to decline
6 December 2022
1 minute read
By: Following earlier analysis on trends in the South American beef market How much beef did South America export in 2021?, AHDB recently offered an updated look at the South American beef export trade and the likely impacts in the short to medium term.
Beef exports from the Mercosur bloc continue to be dominated by Brazil. For 2023, USDA has forecast this trend to continue. Brazil is anticipated to increase total exports by 1%. Other key South American nations, including Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay are expected to report export declines of up to 3%.
Recent trends show Brazil's beef exports to China are up 30% year to date compared to last year. China's demand is expected to soften in 2023, but Brazil is expected to gain market due to slight declines in North American production.
UK imports of beef, particularly from Brazil, have increased recently, the AHDB report noted. While there has been substantial increases seen since 2017, AHDB notes that this period has been particularly turbulent for beef from South America, thanks in part to both Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. In the long term, AHDB exports beef imports from Brazil to return to 2013-2014 levels.
