RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In September 2021, Uruguay exported US$259 million in beef, up 102% compared to the same month in 2020, at US$128 million. Between January and September this year, Uruguay exported US$1.692 billion in meat, 55% more than the US$1.090 billion in the same period last year.
According to the Uruguayan government report, meat by-products grew 67% over the same month last year, reaching US$46 million. The main destinations were China (54%), the United States (12%), Hong Kong (10%), Russia (10%) and the European Union (5%).
Among the main destinations, China registered the highest growth in year-on-year terms (152%) and only the European Union had a negative variation in the year-on-year comparison (58%).
REASONS
The Uruguayan government attributes this growth to restrictions and ban on the export of certain beef cuts in Argentina. “Given that Argentina is one of the main global exporters of the product, it is very likely that this had an impact on the increase in demand and international prices. In short, the growth in exports is explained by the increase in exported quantities and higher prices.”
Beef sales to China were the fastest growing in September: 43% year-on-year (2001-2021) for the accumulated January-September period. China remains the main market for the product, with a cumulative growth of 104% year-on-year.
Although beef was the most sold product, cellulose and dairy products also performed positively. Overall, Uruguay’s exports grew by 45.7% last month compared to the same period in 2020, driven by a 102% increase in meat sales.