Brazil breaks pork export record in 2023

Shipments totalled 1.229 million tonnes, according to data from the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA). The result exceeds the total amount shipped in 2022 by 9.8%, with 1.120 million tonnes.

In terms of revenue, Brazilian pork sales reached US$ 2.818 billion during 2023, a record number that exceeds by 9.5% the balance in 2022, with US$ 2.572 billion.

ABPA president Ricardo Santin said the result confirms projections established by the association for 2023, a year marked by fluctuations in production costs and challenges to recover profitability in the activity.

He said, “Given new markets and expectations regarding traditional destinations for Brazilian pork products, we expect levels achieved over the past year will be maintained this year.”

The sector’s exports closed December 2023 with a positive result. In total, 110,900 tonnes were shipped in December, a performance 7.9% higher than the 102,800 tonnes exported in the same period in 2022. In terms of revenue, pork exports totalled US$ 231.5 million, a balance 8.8% lower than the result recorded in December 2022, with US$ 253.8 million.

In the ranking of exporting states, Santa Catarina led the year’s shipments with 663,300 tonnes (+10.05%), which came down to 53.9% of the entire country’s pork international sales.

The top-5 looks as follows:

1. Santa Catarina, 663,300 tonnes (+10.05%);

2. Rio Grande do Sul, 280,900 tonnes (+5.07%);

3. Paraná, 169,900 tonnes (7.61%);

4. Mato Grosso, 31,100 tonnes (+ 44.1%); and

5. Mato Grosso do Sul, 24,800 tonnes (+19.44%).

The largest importer of Brazilian pork meat, China was the destination for 388,600 tonnes of the produce throughout 2023, a number 15.6% lower than during the same period in 2022. The Asian giant brought in 31.6% of the total.

The top-8 looks as follows:

1. China, 388,600 tonnes (+31.6%);

2. Hong Kong, 126,600 tonnes (+29.3%);

3. Philippines, 126,000 tonnes (+58.8%);

4. Chile, 87,500 tonnes (+44.2%);

5. Singapore, 64,300 tonnes (+16.2%);

6. Uruguay, 49,100 tonnes (+11.9%);

7. Vietnam, 47,800 tonnes (+4.8%); and

8. Japan, 40,300 tonnes (+46.9%).

Luís Rua, director markets at ABPA, analysed, “The year 2023 ends for pork exports with the confirmation of a movement noted, in particular, throughout the second half of the year. The diversification of destinations sustained the final result of the year. This is especially true with countries in Asia and the Americas.”