With the release of December statistics by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) reports that U.S. pork (including variety meat) exports to countries around the world totaled $2.227 billion in 2004, which, according to USMEF, is more than half a billion dollars more than the value of U.S. pork exported in 2003. The volume of U.S. pork (including variety meat) exports in 2004 was 1.023 million metric tons.

2004 was the 14th consecutive record breaking year for U.S. pork exports by volume. As the table below illustrates, in 1991 U.S. pork (including variety meat) exports broke the previous record set in 1989, and every year since the industry has exported more product. Although the value of U.S. pork exports has also increased exponentially, fluctuations in prices mean that the record setting has not been in a consistent line. In 2004, however, the U.S. pork industry’s exports exceeded $2 billion for the first time.

U.S. pork sales to the United States’ No. 1 volume market, Mexico, set new dollar and tonnage (for the fifth successive year) records in 2004 with exports of 361,587 metric tons (up 65 percent over 2003) and $566,521 (up 92 percent).

U.S. pork sales to the United States’ No. 1 value, No. 2 volume market, Japan, set new dollar and tonnage records in 2004 with exports of 313,574 metric tons (up 16 percent over 2003) and $978,541 (up 25 percent).