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Beef export sales up on week, others slide

Beef export sales are a bright spot in the USDA’s weekly export sales update. Beef during the week ending June 5^th was the only major commodity to show a week-to-week improvement thanks to good demand from South Korea, Japan, and Mexico, helping to blunt a cancelation by China. China also canceled on U.S. cotton and while China did buy U.S. pork, there was a reduction from the initial purchase. Cotton, pork, corn, soybean, soybean product, and wheat export sales were all down on the week. Export demand is influenced by several factors, including the strength of the dollar and seasonal trends.

Physical shipments of corn and soybeans topped what’s needed to meet projections for the current marketing year. The 2024/25 marketing year got underway August 1^st for cotton and rice, September 1^st for beans, corn, and sorghum, and October 1^st for soybean products, while 2025/26 kicked off June 1^st for wheat. The marketing year for beef and pork is the calendar year.

Wheat came out at 388,900 tons (14.3 million bushels). Mexico purchased 97,200 tons and Indonesia bought 70,000 tons. Accumulated old crop exports of 197,200 tons took the 2024/25 total to 21,107,400 tons, 14% above 2023/24. The USDA says 184,000 tons were carried over from the 2024/25 marketing year. 2025/26 wheat exports are 217.1 million bushels, compared to 177.7 million early in 2024/25.

Corn was reported at 791,300 tons (31.2 million bushels), down 16% from the week ending May 29^th and 33% from the four-week average. Japan picked up 376,200 tons and Mexico purchased 164,400 tons, while unknown destinations canceled on 164,600 tons. Early in the final quarter of the 2024/25 marketing year, corn exports are 2.596 billion bushels, compared to 2.06 billion in 2023/24. A net reduction of 29,600 tons (-1.2 million bushels) followed a cancelation on 65,000 tons by unknown destinations.

Sorghum sales of 90,700 tons (3.6 million bushels) were a big decline from the previous week, but a sharp rise from the four-week average. Unknown destinations bought 68,000 tons and Mexico picked up 22,700 tons. Sorghum exports are 62.5 million bushels, compared to 212.5 million a year ago.

Rice sales of 48,400 tons were 17% lower than the week before and 2% below the four-week average. Mexico purchased 38,500 tons and Haiti bought 13,500 tons, while South Korea canceled on 11,100 tons. Rice exports are 3,042,700 tons, compared to 3,290,600 this time last year. Sales of 11,100 tons for 2025/26 delivery were to South Korea.

Soybeans hit a marketing year low at 61,400 tons (2.3 million bushels), 68% under the prior week and down 74% from the four-week average. Indonesia picked up 69,400 tons and Egypt purchased 58,500 tons, but unknown destinations canceled on 260,700 tons. So far, this marketing year, soybean exports are 1.79 billion bushels, compared to 1.607 billion a year ago. Sales of 58,100 tons (2.1 million bushels) for 2025/26 delivery were mainly to Taiwan (19,500 tons) and Japan (19,400 tons).

Soybean meal came out at 214,500 tons, a decrease of 16% on the week and 35% from the four-week average. Vietnam bought 108,600 tons and Venezuela picked up 56,000 tons, but unknown destinations canceled on 120,000 tons. At this point in the marketing year, soybean meal exports are 14,003,300 tons, compared to 12,458,300 last year. Sales of 46,500 tons for 2025/26 delivery were to unknown destinations (39,000 tons) and Canada (7,500 tons).

Soybean oil was reported at 5,600 tons, a drop of 46% from the previous week and 61% from the four-week average. Mexico purchased 3,900 tons and Canada bought 1,600 tons. Cumulative soybean oil exports are 1,053,300 tons, compared to 161,900 a year ago. A net reduction of 1,500 tons for 2025/26 delivery occurred after a cancelation by Canada.

Upland cotton was pegged at 60,200 bales, 45% less than the week before and 51% lower than the four-week average. Vietnam picked up 28,000 bales and India purchased 18,600 bales. 2024/25 upland cotton exports are 11,585,500 bales, compared to 12,543,100 in 2023/24. Sales of 36,100 bales for 2025/26 delivery were primarily to Vietnam (25,100 bales) and Turkey (7,500 bales).

Net beef sales totaled 15,300 tons, up 71% from the prior week and 21% from the four-week average. The reported buyers were South Korea (6,100 tons), Japan (3,200 tons), Mexico (2,700 tons), Taiwan (2,100 tons), and Canada (1,400 tons), with a cancelation by China (2,000 tons). Shipments of 14,500 tons were an increase of 33% on the week and 12% from the four-week average, mostly to South Korea (5,300 tons), Japan (4,200 tons), Mexico (1,300 tons), Taiwan (1,300 tons), and Canada (800 tons).

Net pork sales totaled 9,700 tons, falling 73% from the previous week and 70% from the four-week average. The listed purchasers were Japan (3,600 tons), Canada (1,900 tons), Colombia (1,400 tons), South Korea (900 tons), and China (700 tons), with net cancelations by Mexico (1,200 tons) and Honduras (600 tons). Shipments of 33,800 tons were 40% higher than the week before and 25% more than the four-week average, mainly to Mexico (12,800 tons), Japan (5,100 tons), Colombia (4,100 tons), China (3,200 tons), and South Korea (2,500 tons).