The latest numbers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Statistics Canada show that beef and veal exports grew significantly in 2019.
As of September 30, Canada had exported a total of 330,757 tonnes of beef and veal, compared to 294,527 in the same period last year, a growth of 12 per cent. The dollar value of those exports is 21 per cent higher than the same period in 2018.
Much of that growth has been driven by major trading partners. Canada’s exports to the U.S. hit 239,231 tonnes on September 30, which is eight per cent higher than last year. Exports to Japan saw a 59 per cent increase, from 23,712 tonnes as of September 30, 2018, to 37,652 tonnes this year. Both markets saw significant growth in the dollar value of exports as well.
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Exports to Mexico also grew by seven per cent, reaching 11,915 tonnes this year.
Despite China’s four-month ban on Canadian pork and beef exports, beef and veal exports were up 103 per cent to the end of the third quarter this year. Canadian exports reached 11,475 tonnes, at a value of $98,412,000 on September 30. Those gains came before the ban was applied in late June.
Overall, exports to the EU more than doubled this year. Canada had exported a total of 1,165 tonnes of beef and veal to the EU over the first nine months of 2019, compared to 501 tonnes the previous year. Those 2019 exports were valued at $16,099,000, compared to $8,164,000 the previous year. The U.K. was the biggest importer of Canadian beef and veal, importing 849 tonnes as of September 30, versus 170 over the same period last year.
