U.S. Beef Exports Down 17% in 2026 as Tight Supplies and China Trade War Continues

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Total U.S. beef exports fell 17.2% year over year from January through May 2026, according to Oklahoma State University livestock marketing specialist Derrell Peel. This continues a decline of roughly one-third since the record export year of 2022. South Korea remains the top export market despite a 12.2% decline, followed by Japan, Mexico and Canada, all of which also posted year-over-year decreases.

The steepest drop came from the combined China and Hong Kong market, down 56.6% year over year and 73.2% since 2022 amid the ongoing trade war with the United States. Notably, Hong Kong now accounts for over 91% of that combined market’s beef exports from the U.S., suggesting the exports may be moving into China unofficially.