One of the regions that helped push U.S. pork exports to record levels in 2019 was Oceania, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) reported. Exports to Australia increased by about one-third year over year, and the volume shipped to New Zealand jumped by nearly 40%, according to trade data.

Because the distribution and sale of fresh U.S. pork faces significant restrictions in the region, USMEF explained that most of the export volume to Oceania is raw material used for further processing. However, value-added U.S. pork products are rapidly gaining popularity in Australia and New Zealand's retail and foodservice sectors.

From her office in Singapore, Sabrina Yin, USMEF regional director for Southeast Asia, oversees promotional activities for U.S. pork in Australia and New Zealand. She reported that a tight labor market and rising raw material prices in these countries make finished U.S. pork products especially attractive to importers and distributors. Yin added that USMEF is looking to further expand sales of these products through direct consumer outreach as well as by matching U.S. suppliers with prospective customers, including distributors, retailers and foodservice operators.

Last year, U.S. pork exports to Australia totaled more than 105,000 metric tons, a year-over-year increase of 31%, while export value climbed 33% to $302 million. Exports to New Zealand were 10,866 mt, up 38% from 2018, with value increasing 45% to $37.2 million.