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US Dairy Exports Up 52% In Oct.; 2012 Dairy Export Record Broken

Cheese Exports Jump 42%, Butter Exports Up 137%, NDM Exports Rise 56%; Cheese Imports Jump 25%, Other Imports Also Higher

Washington—US dairy exports during October were valued at $613.6 million, up 52 percent from October of 2012, according to figures released Wednesday by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

That was the fourth time in the last six months that the value of US dairy exports surpassed the $600 million mark. The other months and their export values were $622.3 million in May, $612.6 million in July and $614 million in August.

During the first 10 months of 2013, the value of US dairy exports was $5.535 billion, up 28 percent from the first 10 months of 2012. Thus, after 10 months, US dairy exports have already broken the record set last year, $5.124 billion, by more than $400 million.

Dairy exports weren’t alone in posting a double-digit percentage increase during October; dairy imports also did. Specifically, US dairy imports during October were valued at $260.1 million, up 24 percent from October of 2012.

US dairy imports during the first 10 months of 2013 were valued at $2.136 billion, down 1 percent from the first 10 months of 2012.

Leading markets for US dairy exports on a value basis during the first 10 months of 2013, with comparisons to the first 10 months of 2012, were:
• Mexico: $1.167 billion, up 14 percent.
• China: $572.6 million, up 65 percent.
• Canada: $478.6 million, up 22 percent.
• Philippines: $305.4 million, up 12 percent.
• Indonesia: $267.9 million, up 64 percent.
• South Korea: $250.2 million, up 32 percent.
• Japan: $248.8 million, up fractionally.
• Vietnam: $187.7 million, up 70 percent.
• Malaysia: $149.6 million, up 36 percent.
• Saudi Arabia: $140.1 million, up 27 percent.

US cheese exports during October totaled 59.6 million pounds, up 42 percent from October of 2012. The value of those cheese exports, $119.1 million, was up 40 percent.

During the first 10 months of 2013, US cheese exports totaled 565.5 million pounds, up 17 percent from the first 10 months of 2012 and just 6.2 million pounds less than the previous record for cheese exports for an entire year (571.7 million pounds, set last year).

The value of US cheese exports during the first 10 months of this year was $1.098 billion, up 18 percent from the first 10 months of last year.

Nonfat dry milk exports during October totaled 114 million pounds, up 56 percent from October of 2012 and the seventh consecutive month in which US NDM exports topped 100 million pounds.

During the first 10 months of 2013, US exports of nonfat dry milk totaled 1.025 billion pounds, up 21 percent from the first 10 months of 2012 and almost 45 ...More