Compiled by the US Meat and Export Federation (USMEF), the data revealed that the volume of beef variety meats increased by 14%, to 33,386 metric tons (mt), helping to offset lower volumes of beef muscle cuts.
Overall beef exports were up 2% for the month, to 109,858mt, with export values at a record high of $687.1m – an increase of 22% from the previous year. However, muscle cut volumes fell 2% to 76,472mt.
For pork, export volumes were also down 2% overall, to 182,363mt, but did achieve a 5% increase in value ($567.2m).
Pork variety meats were up 24% in volume, to 51,440mt, and 23% in value ($101.9m).
Philip Seng, president and chief executive officer of USMEF, said: "Strong demand for variety meat is very positive news for the industry, because these products contribute significantly to the profitability of US producers and processors.
"USMEF has also heightened the focus on alternative muscle cuts in many of our educational workshops and seminars. Familiarising buyers with these economically priced cuts has been helpful in addressing price and exchange rate concerns."
He said that although global demand for beef and pork muscle cuts remained strong, the US industry was facing "some headwinds".
"Lower slaughter numbers have impacted available supply, and the US dollar continues to strengthen relative to the currencies of a number of our key competitors and import customers. On the pork side, we continue to see large volumes of European product entering Asian markets at lower-than-normal prices. This is likely to continue until the EU’s trade impasse with Russia is resolved."
Among the highlights of USMEF’s monthly report was the increase in beef volumes to Japan – up 25% in volume (22,586mt) and 54% in value ($164m) during October. US pork exports to Mexico also set a new value record for the first nine months of the year – up 35% to $1.3bn compared to 2013, which saw a full-year record of $1.22bn.