January-August Lamb
Meat Imports Up 18%

WASHINGTON —(USDC)— The Commerce Department's Foreign Agriculture Service reports 2029 metric tons of fresh lamb imported into the U.S. in August, bringing the yearly total to 24,012 MT.

The year to date volume is 18 percent above the same period last year. The volume is still 25 percent, or 7839 MT, below the trigger point of 31,851 MT that will kick in the 40 percent tariff set by the Section 201 trade case.

August lamb imports from Australia were 1307 MT and from New Zealand 710 MT. Uruguay also exported 12 MT of lamb meat to the U.S. in August. The year to date imports include 13,571 MT from Australia, 9973 MT from New Zealand, 40 MT from Uruguay, and 68 MT from other countries. Last year's imports totaled 17,140 MT from Australia, 14,482 MT from New Zealand, 105 MT lamb from Uruguay and 124 MT from other countries.

An additional 934 MT of mutton and goat were imported in August, bringing the year to date volume to 9478 MT, far short of the 19,776 MT for all of last year.

The Foreign Agriculture Service also reports a total of 107,255 cattle imported in August, bringing the year to date total to 1,151,274 head, or nine percent less than a year ago. The total for last year was 2,034,009 head.

August cattle imports included 91,666 from Canada and 15,589 from Mexico. The year to date count on cattle from Canada, mostly slaughter cattle, was 680,262 head, down 24 percent from the same time a year ago. Year to date cattle from Mexico, mostly feeders, totaled 481,012 head, up 28 percent from a year ago.

Total cattle imported last year came to 2,034,009 head, with 1,313,476 from Canada, 720,439 from Mexico and 94 from other countries.

Live sheep, lamb and goat imports in August were 3392 head, all from Canada. The year to date volume is up six percent at 38,061 head. The total volume of sheep, lambs and goats last year was 48,594 head, 47,334 from Canada, 1218 from New Zealand and 42 from Mexico.