USMEF: Record-Large Beef Exports Fuel Optimism At Cattle Industry Convention

With U.S. beef exports topping $10 billion* over the past year – shattering previous records – international trade and the returns exports deliver for the U.S. industry were major topics of discussion at the Cattle Industry Convention in Houston.

Mark Swanson, CEO of Birko Corporation and currently serving as chair of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, says expanding U.S. beef exports is important to the entire supply chain, and surging global demand for U.S. beef helped set a positive and optimistic tone for the convention.

Nebraska rancher Steve Hanson, who serves as USMEF secretary-treasurer, notes that U.S. beef export value equated to about $400 per head of fed slaughter in 2021, and this is excellent news for cattle producers. He added that export growth extends beyond major Asian destinations such as Japan, South Korea and China/Hong Kong, with U.S. beef also achieving success in emerging markets.