News

Dairy export volumes down, values up

The U.S. Dairy Export Council says export volumes during the first half of the year were down 14 percent primarily because of lost sales to China, while values were up.

U.S. dairy exports sales totaled $2.95 billion for the first six months of the year, which was up for the third straight year.  Increased sales to Mexico, Southeast Asia, South Korea, Canada, and South America offset a 54 percent decline in sales to China.

Cheese exports were up four percent and the most in the past five years. 

Nonfat dry milk/skim milk powder was down 15 percent as the European Union sold off intervention stocks at a discounted price. 

Whey exports were down 25 percent, the lowest since 2011, and mostly because of reduced demand from China and the African Swine Fever outbreak.

Dry whey exports were down 33 percent, the lowest since 2004, mostly because of China.

Gains were also seen in whey protein isolate, fluid milk and cream, and milk protein concentrate exports while lactose, butterfat, whole milk powder, and food preps exports were lower.