EU Beef Imports Down
AUSTRALIA - EU beef imports during the nine months to March were down 13 per cent year-on-year to 139,654 tonnes swt, with an average import price rise of 23 per cent to US$9,265/tonne.
22 June 2011
1 minute read
Despite a small recovery in shipments during the 2009-10 period (when Argentinean exports temporarily increased), total volumes remained 51 per cent lower than 2006-07 when Brazilian supplies dominated the market, according to Meat and Livestock Australia.
The decrease in imports was a result of lower shipments and increased prices from Brazil (down 4 per cent to 32,660 tonnes swt) and the current restrictions on the number of Brazilian farms eligible to export to this market since early 2008.
Scarce Argentinean supplies have also contributed to the trend, with shipments dropping 32 per cent to 32,471 tonnes swt, while Uruguayan shipments fell 24 per cent to 29,290 tonnes swt, as this country experiences record domestic consumption levels, scarce grown steer numbers and record export prices.
In contrast, beef imports from the US jumped 57 per cent during the period to 10,433 tonnes as the US took advantage of the grainfed beef quota regime. In a similar way, shipments from Australia rose 13 per cent year-on-year to 7,891 tonnes swt.
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