That dollar metric results from an average 38.4% increase for worldwide beef shippers over the five-year period starting in 2018 when overall beef exports were worth $49.3 billion.
Year over year, the value of international beef sales accelerated by 15.7% compared to $58.9 billion exported during 2021.
From a continental perspective, Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean earned the highest dollar amount for exporting all types of beef during 2022. Those Latin American plus Caribbean shipments were worth $20.8 billion or almost (30.5%) of the world total.
In second place at 25.1% were suppliers in European countries, ahead of worldwide beef shipments originating from North America at another 22.6%. Trailing those continental sources were beef exporters from Oceania (15.6%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Smaller percentages trace back to exporters in Asia (5.8%) and Africa (0.4%).
Exports by Type of Beef
Fresh or chilled beef exports were worth $29.5 billion in 2022 or 43% of global beef exports. That percentage falls well below the 48% share one year earlier in 2021.
Frozen beef shipments were valued at $38.7 billion for 2022 or 56.7% of the world total. The percentage for frozen beef inflated from the 52% share for frozen beef in 2021.
The annual increase for fresh or chilled exported beef was a 5.1% improvement from 2021 to 2022, eclipsed by the 25.4% year-over-year gain for frozen exported beef.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefixes are 0201 for fresh or chilled beef and 0202 for frozen beef.
Top Beef Exporting Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of beef during 2022, combining all fresh, chilled and frozen versions.
- United States: US$9.3 billion (13.6% of total beef exports)
- Germany: $8 billion (11.7%)
- Mexico: $7.2 billion (10.5%)
- Brazil: $3.2 billion (4.6%)
- Argentina: $3.1 billion (4.6%)
- Netherlands: $3 billion (4.4%)
- Poland: $2.85 billion (4.2%)
- Nicaragua: $2.76 billion (4.1%)
- Canada: $2.5 billion (3.7%)
- India: $2.2 billion (3.2%)
- New Zealand: $2.1 billion (3%)
- Uruguay: $1.9 billion (2.8%)
- Australia: $1.6 billion (2.3%)
- Paraguay: $1.4 billion (2%)
- Ireland: $1.2 billion (1.7%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 76.4% of all beef exports in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of beef (including both fresh and frozen meat) were: Paraguay (up 584.1% from 2021), New Zealand (up 215.1%), Argentina (up 191.2%) and Brazil (up 125.6%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported beef sales were led by: Australia (down -61.6% from 2021), Netherlands (down -48.7%), Ireland (down -48.6%) and Mexico (down -46.9%).
Top 15 Exporters of Fresh or Chilled Beef
The top exporters for fresh or chilled beef are the United States and Australia supplying roughly one quarter of globally exported fresh or chilled beef.
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of fresh or chilled beef during 2022.
- United States: US$4.4 billion (14.8% of exported fresh or chilled beef)
- Netherlands: $3 billion (10.3%)
- Australia: $2.8 billion (9.5%)
- Canada: $2.6 billion (8.7%)
- Ireland: $2.1 billion (7%)
- Mexico: $1.8 billion (6.1%)
- Poland: $1.6 billion (5.3%)
- Germany: $1.3 billion (4.3%)
- France: $1.1 billion (3.9%)
- Spain: $1 billion (3.4%)
- Paraguay: $883.5 million (3%)
- Brazil: $868.1 million (2.9%)
- Argentina: $816.7 million (2.8%)
- Belgium: $702.5 million (2.4%)
- United Kingdom: $504.9 million (1.7%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 86.1% of all fresh or chilled beef exports in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of fresh or chilled beef were: Paraguay (up 83,483% from 2021), United Kingdom (up 40.4%), Spain (up 26.8%) and Poland (up 13.5%).
Five major suppliers posted declines in their sales of exported fresh or chilled beef, namely: Brazil (down -12.9% from 2021), United States of America (down -6.8%), Australia (down -6.2%) and Mexico (down -2%).
Top 15 Exporters of Frozen Beef
The world’s biggest exporters of frozen beef are Brazil and America. Collectively, that pair generated 43.3% of exported frozen beef sales.
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of frozen beef during 2022.
- Brazil: US$10.9 billion (28.3% of total exported frozen beef)
- United States: $5.8 billion (15%)
- Australia: $4.7 billion (12.1%)
- India: $2.9 billion (7.4%)
- New Zealand: $2.7 billion (7%)
- Argentina: $2.6 billion (6.7%)
- Uruguay: $2.1 billion (5.5%)
- Paraguay: $850.4 million (2.2%)
- Ireland: $695.8 million (1.8%)
- Poland: $624.8 million (1.6%)
- Canada: $573.7 million (1.5%)
- Netherlands: $428.3 million (1.1%)
- Germany: $335.7 million (0.9%)
- Mexico: $325.7 million (0.8%)
- Nicaragua: $317.5 million (0.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 92.8% of all frozen beef exports in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of frozen beef were: Paraguay (up 54,482% from 2021), Brazil (up 56.9%), Germany (up 54.9%) and Mexico (up 41.1%).
A trio of major suppliers posted declines in sales of exported frozen beef: Nicaragua (down -13.8% from 2021), Canada (down -7.8%) and India (down -2.6%).
Major Beef Exporting Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers actively participate in the international trade of fresh, chilled and frozen beef. Shown within parenthesis is the home-country location for each business:
- Agro Expedition International (Netherlands)
- Cargill (United States)
- Carmelita Export-Import Limited (Ireland)
- Imam Halal Meats New Zealand Ltd (New Zealand)
- Prime Foods International Inc (Canada)
- Ricardo Schneider SS Trade Importacao Exportacao (Brazil)
- Rodriguez Gonzalez Medardo (Uruguay)
- SIBA International (India)
- Tropicana Food And Beverages Gmbh (Germany)
- Yass Valley Beef (Australia)
Related Read: Average Frozen Beef Prices Compared by Top Exporters
See also Fresh or Frozen Beef Imports by Country, Chicken Exports by Country, Pork Exports by Country, Top Sheep and Lamb Meat Exports and Top Goat Meat Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier showroom for beef. Accessed on July 21, 2023
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on July 21, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 21, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 21, 2023
Wikipedia, Beef. Accessed on July 21, 2023
