Australian February beef exports set cracking pace, above 117,000 t

Australian beef exports are off to a cracking pace in 2025, with both January and February shipments unusually large. In fact, the accumulated calendar year-to-date shipments are record high, at more than 198,000 tons. Even the frantic herd liquidation years of 2019-20, and 2014-2015 did not come close to that number for January-February trade, with exports not exceeding 173,000t in any of those years, Beef Central reported. For the month of February just completed, beef export volumes hit 117,502t, up 44pc on January, which is inevitably the quietest month of the year for Australian beef exports. Last month’s figure was up 24,000t or 25pc in February last year, making it one of the biggest February shipment figures on record.

Most large export customers took larger Australian volumes in February, as Australian beef starts to displace more product of US origin in markets like Japan, Korea and China. The rapid decline in cow slaughter in the US is now a key driver in demand for Australian lean manufacturing beef in the United States, with exports to US East and West Coast ports last month reaching a hefty 35,102 tons. More than 20,000t of that was frozen product.

Beyond the US, China jumped from fourth place among Australia’s overseas customers in January, to second in February, taking 21,373t of Australian beef. That was up 6500t or 43pc from January, and 36pc higher than February last year.

Not far behind was Japan, taking 20,115t last month, up 27pc in January, but still 15pc behind this time last year. Trade into South Korea also rose last month, reaching 17,778t, up 60pc from January and almost 4000t or 28pc higher than this time last year.