Brazil’s poultry and pork exports set a new record in 2023, growing by 6.6% and 9.8%, respectively, compared to 2022. Beef exports, both fresh and processed, also increased in volume in the period (to 2.54 million tons), but had a decrease in revenue, of 17.1%.
The country exported 5.138 million tons of poultry meat in 2023, surpassing for the first time the mark of 5 million tons in a year, reported the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA).
The exported volume was within ABPA’s estimate for 2023. The revenue from exports rose by 0.4%, to USD 9.796 billion. This year, the association expects Brazilian poultry exports to set a new record, between 5.2 million and 5.3 million tons.
Japan was the main destination for the Brazilian product in December, with 55.9 thousand tons purchased, an increase of 53.9% compared to last year. China imported 50.3 thousand tons (+8.5%), followed by the United Arab Emirates, with 44.3 thousand tons (+27%), Saudi Arabia, with 39.5 thousand tons (+56.3%) and South Africa, with 31.2 thousand tons (+10.8%).
Pork
Brazilian pork exports totaled 1.229 million tons in 2023. The revenue from exports rose by 9.5% to USD 2.8 billion.
China bought 388.6 thousand tons of the Brazilian product in 2023, a decrease of 15.6% compared to the previous year. Exports to Hong Kong increased by 29.3% to 126.6 thousand tons.
Following were the Philippines, with 126 thousand tons (+58.8%), Chile, with 87.5 thousand tons (+44.2%), Singapore, with 64.3 thousand tons (+16.2%), Uruguay, with 49.1 thousand tons (+11.9%), Vietnam, with 47.8 thousand tons (+4.8%), and Japan, with 40.3 thousand tons (+46.9%).
In 2024, ABPA expects Brazil to export up to 1.3 million tons of pork meat.
Beef
According to data from the Brazilian Association of Meatpackers (Abrafrigo), the 17.1% drop (to USD 10.84 billion) in beef exports revenue occurred due to a reduction in the average export prices, which stood at USD 4,277/ton, compared to USD 5,583/t in 2022.
China, the main importer of Brazilian beef, bought 1.21 million tons in 2023, compared to 1.25 million in 2022. The second-largest buyer, the United States, imported 357.8 thousand tons of Brazilian beef in 2023, 81.7% above what was registered in 2022.
Other main destinations were Hong Kong (119.3 thousand t, +24.4%), Chile (100.5 thousand t, +26.5%), and the United Arab Emirates (77.4 thousand t, +31.5%).