Brazilian beef exports reached a record 240,622 tons in May, says the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec), based on data from the federal government. It was the second consecutive month of record shipments and a 26.2% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Regarding protein sales, the country recorded a revenue of $1.056 billion in May, 11% higher than the amount obtained in May last year, despite the falling prices per ton shipped.
In the first five months of 2024, Brazil exported about 277,000 tons more than in the same period of 2023, reaching 1.07 million tons. Revenue increased by about $943 million, reaching $4.73 billion.
China remains the main destination for Brazilian beef, accounting for 98,243 tons in May, although the volume declined compared to the previous month, when the country acquired 101,365 tons.
On the other hand, exports to the United States increased by 64.6% on a monthly basis, reaching 13,186 tons, driven by increased shipments of fresh beef, which more than doubled between April and May. Abiec did not detail the year-on-year comparison of shipments to the countries.
Shipments to China increased during this period, amid a larger number of approved slaughterhouses to sell to the Asian country. There was a 25% increase in shipped volume, to 473,715 tons, with a 10.9% increase in revenue, to $2.11 billion.
Brazilian shipments to the United Arab Emirates increased from 22.7 thousand tons from January to May 2023 to 85.49 thousand tons in the same period of 2024. Revenue from beef exports to this destination increased from $101.14 million in the first five months of 2023 to $393.5 million this year.
“The increase occurred not only to meet the demand of the country itself, but also because the United Arab Emirates are increasingly functioning as a hub for exports to other markets, especially Iran,” Abiec said in a statement.
Turkey, which has also been a route for final exports to Iran, increased its purchases of Brazilian beef to 20.39 thousand tons in 2024, compared to 1.95 thousand tons registered in the first five months of 2023.