LUBBOCK, Texas (RFD NEWS) — U.S. pork exports opened 2026 with steady gains, reinforcing livestock demand and supporting overall protein trade flows across key global markets. January pork shipments reached 250,861 metric tons — up 3% year over year — while value climbed 4 percent to $692.1 million, according to USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
Mexico again led pork demand, with additional year-over-year gains in Japan, South Korea, Canada, Central America, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, ASEAN markets, and Taiwan. Growth across Western Hemisphere and Asian destinations reflected firm retail and foodservice demand for U.S. pork products early in the year.
Operationally, strong pork exports and improving beef values continue supporting packer margins and cattle prices, even as China remains largely absent from the market. January beef exports totaled 92,558 metric tons, down 10% year over year, though value slipped just 3% to $780.1 million. Export value per head of fed slaughter topped $415 — the highest since March.
Regionally, beef shipments increased to Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the Caribbean, ASEAN markets, and South America, with higher values reported to Mexico, Canada, and Central America. Beef variety meats were especially strong, rising 6% in volume to 27,511 metric tons and surging 46% in value to a record $126 million.
Looking ahead, export performance will hinge on Asian demand trends and whether China returns, while tight cattle supplies continue to elevate the importance of maximizing carcass value across markets.
The outlook for the cattle industry is stronger than expected. One livestock auctioneer says beef prices are holding steady, even as the market faces ongoing uncertainty.
“Despite everything, whether Trump and they are talking about beef needs to be cheaper, the fundamentals are still there that it’s going to be good,” explains Ben Hale, owner of Western Livestock Auctions. “I think just moving through this is what everybody is just cautiously optimistic about, and not trying to get too rushed on what you’re doing, but I think it’s going to be pretty good. If we get past this. I think we still have some money to be made in these cattle.”
While overall the market is steady, drought is a major concern, but some welcome conditions are making their way to the regions in need of relief.
“North Texas got decent rains, you know, some places an inch, an inch-and-a-half, and some places down there, like North Abilene, they got two to four inches,” he said. “It wasn’t a big area, but down there, you go from Lawton and all the way down to Wichita Falls, boy, that wheat looks really good down there.”
While the cattle sector is not entirely immune to tensions in the Middle East, Purdue’s latest ag economy barometer shows that livestock producers are feeling more optimistic about the future than row-crop farmers. Economists warn that the gap in confidence could continue to grow.
Last year was a strong year for U.S. pork exports, reaching near-record levels in both volume and value. The National Pork Board says the industry is seeing steady demand for American pork across the Western Hemisphere.
“Mexico was record-large this year in both terms of value and volume,” explains Andy Tauer. “Records in other Central American countries as well as the Caribbean, and so again, I think that really starts to solidify U.S. pork’s footprint in this Western Hemisphere. We do continue to see some challenges and some headwinds with some of our Asian markets. A lot of that is driven by geopolitics as well as dollar value.”
Tauer said they are working closely with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) to strengthen global markets. He credits them with helping discover a major market for pork loin in Japan.
“In Takatsu, in that Japanese market, and this one is really, really going well in that marketplace,” he says. “So again, just another example of how diverse the product mix is for U.S. pork in that partnership with USMEF, because if it wasn’t for their team and the boots on the ground, and really understanding what that Japanese market is looking for, we wouldn’t be able to deliver on product like that. So again, that partnership and those regional experts that USMEF has are just key to being able to continue to drive demand for U.S. pork.”
He says variety meats are also adding value to the carcass since they are not consumed in the U.S. USMEF reports that in December, variety meat exports increased year-over-year to the Philippines, Central America, Colombia, Japan, and the Dominican Republic.
Shaun Haney joined RFD News to discuss the potential impact of the Trump-Xi summit uncertainty, ongoing agricultural trade talks, and why geopolitical developments could carry important implications for farmers and global commodity markets.
