February 2026 exports of U.S. pork were slightly higher year-over-year, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). As USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom explains, while beef exports trended lower, due in large part to continued lack of access to China, shipments of beef variety meat posted another strong increase. February was a robust month for per-head export value, with pork exports equating to more than $67 per head slaughtered and beef exports reaching nearly $423 per head of fed slaughter.
February pork exports totaled 242,511 metric tons (mt), up 1% from a year ago, with export value also edging 1% higher to $678.8 million. While leading market Mexico posted another excellent performance in February, shipments to Japan increased significantly from last year’s low total and exports also trended higher year-over-year to South Korea, Central America, the Dominican Republic and Taiwan.
For January through February, U.S. pork exports were 2% above last year’s pace in both volume (493,372 mt) and value ($1.37 billion). Export value is slightly ahead of the record pace established in 2024.
February beef exports totaled 85,066 mt, down 13% year-over-year, while value fell 10% to $722.7 million. Much of this gap was due to China’s lockout of U.S. beef, though February shipments were also below last year to Korea, Japan and Canada. Exports increased year-over-year to Mexico, Taiwan, the Caribbean and South America, while demand was steady in the Middle East and Central America. Excluding China, February exports were 4% higher in value and just 1% below last year’s volume.
The February totals included 24,081 mt of beef variety meat, up 12% from a year ago, while the value of these shipments soared 40% to $106 million.
Through the first two months of 2026, beef and beef variety meat exports were 12% below last year’s pace in volume (177,624 mt) and 6% lower in value ($1.5 billion). Excluding China from these results, exports increased 2% to 175,915 mt, while value was 10% higher at $1.49 billion.
January-February exports of beef variety meat increased 9% from a year ago to 51,592 mt, while export value climbed 43% to $232 million.
Exports of U.S. lamb muscle cuts trended higher in February, reaching the largest volume (326 mt, up 52%) since May. Export value increased 31% to $1.47 million.
A detailed summary of the January-February export results for U.S. pork, beef and lamb, including market-specific highlights, is available from the USMEF website.
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