(NewsDakota.com/NAFB) – America’s pork exports finished strong in 2022 and kept going into January.

January pork exports were 236,767 metric tons, up 13 percent year-over-year, and export value rose 16 percent to $634 million. Exports to Mexico set a record in 2022 and hit another record in January.

Pork exports also were significantly higher in China/Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, and other locations. “While Mexico leads the way, it’s encouraging to see broad-based growth,” says U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “Market diversification is always a big point of emphasis.”

Beef exports slowed late in 2022, and that carried into January, when exports fell 15 percent to 100,942 metric tons. The value dropped 32 percent to just over $702 million. While beef exports declined to several major destinations, shipments increased sharply to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, and Africa. “We expect post-COVID foodservice demand to rise this year,” Halstrom says.