Foreign demand accounts for a significant share of U.S. animal products production

Latest-available trade data show that foreign demand accounts for a significant share of U.S. animal products production, USDA reported in its monthly Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook report.In 2016 beef exports accounted for 10.1 percent of commercial production. Asia was the largest export market last year, accounting for 63 percent of beef exports.In 2016, 21 percent of U.S. pork production was exported, with Asia (45 percent) and Mexico (31 percent) taking the largest share of exports.The U.S. poultry sector (broilers, other chicken, and turkey) exported 15.6 percent of production, with a large number of relatively small shipments (“Other”) accounting for 56 percent of exports.Almost 4 percent of U.S. lamb and mutton production was exported in 2016. “Other”— which in this case consists of several Caribbean nations — accounted for 41 percent of exports, while Mexico accounted for 40 percent.