Although the total quantity of US poultry exports declined modestly in 2010, the export value actually increased incrementally. Total US poultry exports for the year were 3.7 million metric tons, down 4.4 per cent from the previous year, while value reached $4.2 billion, up 0.2 per cent over 2009.

The US shipped virtually no poultry at all to Russia for the first eight months of 2010 because of Russia's import ban on US product sanitised with chlorine, while China's anti-dumping and countervailing cases against US chicken stopped almost all shipments for the year. Russia has historically been the largest market for US chicken, with China close behind and gaining.

"We would not normally tout declines in exports, but the fact that our exports declined so little, and the value of our chicken and turkey exports actually increased is a testament to our industry's resilience and adaptability in finding new markets," said Jim Sumner, president of USAPEEC.

Meanwhile, the combined value of US exports of table eggs and processed egg products set a new year-on-year record in 2010, while rising to the second highest total quantity in history.

Total US egg export value last year increased by nearly four per cent over 2009, hitting an all-time high of $173.2 million. Total egg export quantity for the year climbed to the equivalent of 206.1 million dozen, up almost eight per cent.

Exports of broiler meat (excluding chicken paws) in 2010 were 3.1 million tons, valued at $3.13 billion, down 0.7 and 4.9 per cent, respectively, from the previous year.

Broiler exports to China last year were 55,821 tons, valued at $64.4 million, both down 83 per cent. Shipments to Russia were 331,540 tons at $317.3 million, down 55 and 58 per cent, respectively. Increased exports to markets such as Hong Kong, Angola, Mexico and others helped to make up the shortfall in shipments to Russia and China.

Exports to Hong Kong last year climbed to 197,023 tons at $259 million, up 150 and 182.5 per cent from 2009, respectively. Exports to Angola reached 147,862 tons at $138 million, up 95 and 140 percent, respectively, while shipments to Mexico were 438,651 tons at $362 million, up 19 and 11 per cent, respectively.

Also, broiler shipments to other markets such as South Korea, Taiwan, Georgia, Congo, Viet Nam and Japan also increased significantly from the previous year.

Broiler exports to the top five export markets – Mexico, Russia, Hong Kong, Angola, and Cuba – in 2010 totalled 1.3 million tons, a combined share of nearly 41 per cent of the US global export total.

Exports of chicken paws in 2010 reached 307,089 metric tons, a decrease of 35 per cent from the previous year, while export value set a record at $463.6 million, up 29 per cent.

Of the total, 79 per cent, or 243,886 tons, were shipped to Hong Kong, up 184 per cent from 2009, while 15.5 per cent, or 47,663 tons, were shipped to China, down 87.4 per cent from the previous year.

Total broiler meat (including paws) exports in 2010 were 3,379,366 metric tons at $3.595 billion, down 5.2 and 1.6 per cent from 2009, respectively (Figure 1). Of the total shipment, 44.4 per cent or 1,501,111 tons were shipped to the top five markets, including Hong Kong, Mexico, Russia, Angola and Cuba.

Figure 1. US broiler (including paws) exports since 1989
(Source: USDA/FAS GATS database)

US turkey exports in 2010 were 264,354 tons at $464 million, up nine and 18 per cent, respectively.

Exports to top market Mexico climbed to 145,618 tons at $281 million, up 21 and 33 per cent, respectively. Shipments to China, the second-leading market, were 33,770 tons at $36.8 million, up 15 and 21 per cent, respectively. Exports to other markets such as Hong Kong, Canada and the Dominican Republic also increased significantly.

Of total turkey export quantity, the top five markets account for 79 per cent of the total – Mexico, China, Hong Kong, Canada and Dominican Republic, with Mexico alone accounting for 55.1 per cent of the total.

Figure 2. US turkey exports since 1989
(Source: USDA/FAS GATS database)

For table eggs, exports in 2010 were 74 million dozen, down 0.5 per cent from the previous year, while export value reached $60.4 million, up four per cent. Of the total, 86 per cent or 63.7 million dozen were shipped to five markets – Hong Kong, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, the Bahamas and Israel.

For egg products, export quantity in 2010 was 36,380 tons, down six per cent from 2009, while export value set a record of $112.8 million, up four per cent from the previous year.

Export value to Japan, the top export market for US egg products, reached $40.3 million, up six percent, while export value to Canada decreased to $10.2 million, down 31 per cent from 2009.

Total egg exports (table eggs plus egg products in shell egg equivalent) in 2010 hit the second highest in history at 206.080 million dozen, an increase of nearly eight per cent from the previous year. Export value set a year-on-year record at $173.2 million, up four per cent year-over-year.

Figure 3. US exports of table eggs and egg products (in shell egg equivalent) since 1989
(Source: USDA/FAS GATS database)