Three-year low for beef exports in January

Argentine beef exports saw a sharp downturn in January 2025, according to data from INDEC. With around 46,200 tons (product weight) shipped, totaling US$227.7 million, the decline compared to December 2024 was 20.1% in volume and 11.1% in value. Compared to the first month of 2024, the drop was 25.4% in volume and 4.4% in value. This represented the lowest monthly volume in three years, dating back to January 2022.

The average export value jumped, likely because of the smaller relative share of shipments to China and a higher proportion exported to the European Union, which handles higher-value cuts. INDEC data shows an average export value for beef of US$4,929 per ton, the highest since October 2022.

Looking at the cumulative figures over the past 12 months (February 2024 to January 2025), there is still an increase: shipments totaled around 753,000 tons (product weight) at nearly US$3.011 billion, marking an annual rise of 8.6% in volume and 7.3% in value.

In January, China's purchases of boneless beef were halved

With purchases of 18,300 tons of boneless beef and 11,700 tons of bone-in beef and deboned bones, China accounted for 65.0% of exported volumes in January 2025, down from 79.2% in the first month of 2024. The decrease was concentrated in boneless beef, which fell to exactly half the volume seen a year ago.