Brazil set a new monthly record for beef exports last month, indicates data from ABIEC, which represents Brazil’s meat exporters, showing that 236,842t of beef were exported in April. This beats the previous highest monthly total of 234,618t set in December 2023 and brings the total volume of beef exports for the first four months of 2024 to 835,328t. See Figure 1.

China was by a considerable distance the largest export market for Brazilian beef last month, taking 101,031t, with a further 11,327t going to Hong Kong.

This brings the 2024 year-to-date total for exports to China up to 374,635t, plus an additional 41,098t to Hong Kong.

The second most important export market for Brazilian beef in the first four months of this year was the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 64, 487t, with the US next on 52,004t.

The EU completes the top five export destinations for Brazilian beef on 29,925t between January and April this year.

The value of Brazil’s beef exports remains steady at $4,400/t, in line with what was achieved in February, but down slightly on the $4,440/t achieved in March.

Brazil is consistently the world’s largest beef exporter, with the US the second largest beef exporter, with data to the end of March showing total beef exports for the first quarter at 311,865t (source: US Meat Exports Federation).

Australia is third, with its total for the first four months of the year at 381,360t (source: Meat and Livestock Australia).