Results showed that Brazil exported 1.64m tonnes (t) of beef throughout 2018, an 11% increase in volume compared to 2017. Revenue also soared for Brazil after the value reached US$6.57bn, up 7.9% in comparison to 2017.
The best results of this year were recorded in the second half of 2018, with September being the highlight, when shipments totalled 178,000t and revenues reached $700m. The result represented a 31.75% increase in volume and 25.86% in revenue compared to the same period in 2017.
The export figures also reaffirmed Brazil’s position as the world’s leading exporter of beef after beating other exporting nations, according to ABIEC.
The main destination for Brazilian beef was Asia, with Hong Kong and China topping demand. Hong Kong represented 24% of beef shipped by Brazil, which amounted to almost 395,000t.
Meanwhile China, on the other hand, was the main destination for revenue, representing 22.63% of beef shipments, valued at $1.49bn.
The European Union, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Chile were among the other markets that increased in volume and revenue in 2018 compared to 2017.
ABIEC’s president Antonio Jorge Camardelli said the all-time high in exports showed a recognition of the quality of Brazilian beef in domestic and international markets.
“The good outcomes are the result of a work on improvement in all stages of the production process, which allows us to comply with the most demanding international rules for quality and competitive beef,” said Camardelli.