Cattle Import Trends
To Continue In 1998

By Donald Stotts
Oklahoma State University

STILLWATER, Oklahoma - General trends for U.S. cattle imports during the first eight months of 1997 are expected to continue for the balance of this year and into

1998.

"U.S. cattle imports from Canada probably will continue to decline, while imports of feeder cattle from Mexico could increase," says Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension livestock marketing specialist.

According to a USDA report released Oct. 22, the number of live cattle imported into the United States in August totaled 122,800 head, 13 percent fewer cattle than were imported in August, 1996.

Year-to-date imports of live cattle into the United States through the end of August totaled 1.25 million head, seven percent less than the figure for the same time period in 1996 and 38 percent less than in 1995.

"Most cattle imported into the United States from Canada are sent directly to slaughter plants, so there is a whole aspect of the beef industry that is not receiving any direct money from those cattle," Peel said.

Imports of live cattle from Canada during August totaled slightly less than 100,000 head, a decline of 27 percent from August, 1996. January through August imports from Canada totaled 908,000 head, a decline of about 17 percent from the 1996 eight-month figure.

"Still, compared to 1995, live imports from Canada for the first eight months increased almost 18 percent," Peel said.

Peel added that Mexico's improved economic climate and weather conditions have reduced the flow of feeder cattle into the United States following the huge number of Mexican cattle that came northward in 1995.

"However, higher cattle prices in the United States have attracted more Mexican cattle north in 1997, as compared to 1996," he said. "January through August

import numbers increased 46 percent compared to 1996, but still were nearly 73 percent below the 1995 figure."

The United States imported roughly 23,000 head of Mexican cattle during August, and nearly 338,000 head of feeder cattle during the first eight months of 1997.