U.S. Exports Reach Record Levels in April
US - Capitalizing on steady global demand, declining supply from other exporters and favorable pricing relationships, U.S. dairy exporters moved record volumes overseas in April, according to the US Dairy Export Council.
7 June 2013
1 minute read
U.S. exports of dry ingredients (milk powder, whey products, lactose), cheese and butterfat topped 168,000 tons in April, up 20 per cent compared with March (on a daily-average basis).
Total value was $558.8 million, up 16 per cent from March, and also a new high. Gains were led by an unprecedented level of milk powder shipments.
April exports of NDM/SMP were 55,187 tons; the previous high was 47,787 tons in October 2010. Exports were equivalent to 61 per cent of U.S. NDM/SMP production in April, leading to a steep draw-down in manufacturers’ stocks during the month.
April also marked the third straight month of improved export volumes. February-April shipments were 38 per cent higher than volumes posted in the previous three months November-January). Shipments of cheese, WPC and lactose also continue to exceed prior-year levels.
Cheese exports in the first four months of the year were up 7 per cent vs. a year ago, WPC was up 16 per cent and lactose was up 11 per cent . In addition, fluid milk/cream (+62 per cent ) and ice cream (+52 per cent ) posted very strong increases in the January-April period.
Dry whey exports improved in April, posting their highest volume since May 2012. April exports of 19,647 were up 6 per cent vs. a year ago.
On a total-solids basis, exports were equivalent to 15.7 per cent of U.S. milk production in April, easily the most ever. Meanwhile, imports as a percent of milk-solids production were 2.9 per cent .
TheCattleSite News Desk
