United States-Meat imports and exports continue to grow.

UNITED STATES-MEAT EXPORTS.

Meat exports and imports in the United States continue to grow, according to a report published by USDA’s Economic Research Service.

The good news/bad news of that scenario is that expanded trade reality has created more interdependence between livestock sectors of the United States and those of several major trading partners. Those relationships also have become a more critical component to industry profitability, according to the ERS report. Certainly with last year’s dramatic run of pork exports pushing the envelop to encompass 20 percent of annual production, that is nearly an understatement.

Trade of U.S. meat products has expanded dramatically during the past several decades. Factors driving this trade growth include not only rising incomes globally, but also that both U.S. and foreign consumers look to the United States for a greater variety of meat cuts. The expansion of free-trade agreements has allowed such dramatic growth.

Changes in currency values, including the depreciation of the U.S. dollar against the currencies of key trading partners, have had important influences in expanding trade in U.S. meat products.Of course, a strengthening U.S.. dollar can have a tempering effect..