Mercosur registers exceptional beef exports in 2019

Beef exports by the four Mercosur member countries increased 17% in 2019, reaching 2,704 thousand tons of product. Argentina saw the highest growth rates out of all member countries.

Argentine beef exports in 2019 set a new all-time record, reaching exports of 566,272 tons, double the volumes shipped in the previous year. When translating this volume to “meat on the bone”, as usually done by Argentina’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, it becomes approximately 840 thousand tons, which compares with the 557 thousand exported the previous year.

Brazil, the bloc’s largest exporter, registered exports of 1,561 thousand tons in 2019, a 16% rise compared to the previous year. Uruguay’s performance remained practically unchanged in relation to the previous year (325,846 tons) while Paraguay saw its meat exports fall 8% year on year, ending 2019 on 248,899 tons.

Paraguay’s retraction is explained by the fact that it is the only country in the bloc that does not have authorization to sell to China.

Globally, the Mercosur are the largest supplier of beef, accounting for almost a quarter of global exports, followed by Australia (16%) and the USA (12%). Mercosur’s share of world beef exports has been showing sustained growth over the past 5 years, from 18% in 2015 to 24% in 2019.

Share of Mercosur exports in world beef trade

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