Trade restrictions cut US pork exports to Mexico in May
Tension with China also impacted trade
9 July 2026
1 minute read
By: Although May exports of US pork were higher year-over-year, volumes were significantly diminished by Mexico’s restrictions on pork offal items, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF).
Pork exports totalled 245,874 metric tons (mt) in May, up 10% from a year ago, with value up 8% to $701 million. But exports in May 2025 were unusually low due to heightened trade tensions with China, which temporarily pushed China’s tariff rate on US pork as high as 172%. This impasse heavily impacted exports of pork variety meat, which totaled just over 30,000 mt in May 2025. While pork variety meat exports exceeded 40,000 mt in May 2026, this was easily the lowest total of the year as January-April shipments averaged nearly 49,000 mt. May variety meat exports to Mexico were just 3,157 mt, down 80% from a year ago, due to restrictions imposed after the April 30 detection of pseudorabies virus (PRV) antibodies in five boars in Iowa.
Bright spots for US pork in May included the largest shipments to Japan since 2021, an outstanding performance from Colombia and strong growth in Central America. Export value per head slaughtered topped $71.
For January through May, pork and pork variety meat exports totalled 1.28 million mt, up 5% from a year ago, while value was also up 5% to $3.59 billion. In both volume and value, pork exports are less than 1% below the record pace established in 2024.
“While US pork exports are posting a strong performance in 2026, the May results underscore the urgent need for Mexico to fully remove its PRV-related restrictions on pork offal and other products,” USMEF president and CEO Dan Halstrom explained. “This situation is costing the US industry millions of dollars per week and severely impacting customers in Mexico, who are scrambling to find alternative products and suppliers.”
Although Mexico modified its restrictions in early June to allow pork offal shipments from states other than Iowa and Texas, source verification requirements, and the importance of Iowa as the leading hog-producing state, continue to pose significant obstacles for exporters.
