The Meat exports Bovine in January 2025 showed a significant fall, marking a setback both in volume and value compared to the same month of the previous year and with respect to the closure of 2024.
According to a report of Argentine Meat Exporters Consortium (ABC)the total exported volume reached 46,200 tons, which represented a 25.4% decrease in relation to January 2024, and a 20.1% drop compared to the previous month. In turn, the income generated by these exports fell 4.4% compared to the same period of the previous year.
The main factor that influenced this setback It was the reduction of exports to Chinathe main destination of Argentine flesh. The reasons for this fall include a lower price combination in the Chinese market, high prices in the Argentine local market, and a shortage of cattle available for export. In addition, the arrival of the festivities of the New Year moon affected the demand from the Asian giant, which contributed to the decrease in exported volume.
Not everything is lost
However, the general panorama is not completely negative. The annual accumulated, from February 2024 to January 2025, He showed some more favorable performance. During this period, beef exports reached a volume close to 753,000 tons, for a total value of US $ 3,010.9 million. This represented an increase of 8.6% in volume and 7.3% in value compared to the same period of the previous year, which suggests a partial recovery of export levels after the fall of January.
China, although affected by the decrease in exported volumes, remains the main destination for Argentine flesh. In January 2025, the Asian country absorbed 65% of Argentine exports of bovine meat, with boneless meat and bone shipments for a value close to US $ 100 million. However, the average price of beef without bone exported to China was US $ 4,300 per ton, which reflects a considerable fall compared to US $ 5,900 reached in May 2022.
Refrigerated bovine meat exports also faced an important fall in January, with a decrease of 27.4% in volume compared to the previous month. However, destinations such as Europe, Chile and Israel They continued to be key markets for this type of meat, with a total exported figure that reached 7,800 tons, for a value of US $ 72.3 million.
The frozen meat segment, meanwhile, experienced a reduction in offices to China, although sales to other markets such as Israel and the United States maintained their stability. In total, 26,400 tons of frozen meat without bone were exported, generating income for US $ 133.4 million.
Despite the January challenges, the prospects for the coming months are not entirely pessimistic. The Mexican market, which was opened in the second quarter of 2023, has shown sustained growth, with cooled and frozen meat exports that continued its expansion, reaching a total volume of 842 tons in January, with average prices close to US $ S5.200 per ton.
The panorama for the Argentine bovine meat industry seems to be marked by the volatility of international markets, especially Chinese, but also by an incipient increase in exports to emerging markets. The adaptation of producers and exporters to market fluctuations, added to the opening of new commercial destinations, could be key to the recovery in the medium and long term.
Source: Ambito
