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Top Sheep and Lamb Meat Exports

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Rack of lamb (courtesy of Pixabay.com)
Rack of lamb
International sales of exported sheep and lamb meat totaled US$7.62 billion in 2019, up by 27.2% for all sheep and lamb meat shippers over the five-year period starting in 2015. Year over year, the value of exported meat garnered from sheep and lambs decreased by -1.1% from 2018 to 2019.

In this article, the term lamb refers to the meat from younger sheep classified as being one year old or less.

Drilling down to more detailed product types, the most valuable form of exported sheep and lamb meat were frozen cuts of sheep including bones at 43.1% of the overall total. In second place was exported fresh or chilled cuts of sheep meat including bones (16.4%) ahead of fresh or chilled lamb carcasses and half-carcasses (13.2%) and frozen boneless cuts of sheep meat (11.8%). Smaller percentages are attributed to fresh or chilled boneless cuts of sheep meat (7.1%), fresh or chilled sheep carcasses and half-carcasses (4.1%), frozen sheep carcasses and half-carcasses (2.6%) then frozen lamb carcasses and half-carcasses (1.7%).

For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefixes are: 020410 for fresh or chilled lamb carcasses and half-carcasses; 020421 for fresh or chilled sheep carcasses and half-carcasses; 020422 for fresh or chilled cuts of sheep meat with bone; 020423 for fresh or chilled boneless cuts of sheep meat; 020430 for frozen lamb carcasses and half-carcasses; 020441 for frozen sheep carcasses and half-carcasses; 020442 for frozen cuts of sheep with bone; and 020443 for frozen boneless cuts of sheep meat.

Top Sheep and Lamb Meat Exports by Country

Total

Below are the 10 countries that exported the overall highest dollar value worth of sheep and lamb meat during 2019.

  1. Australia: US$2.9 billion (down -2,777% from 2015)
  2. New Zealand: $2.6 million (up 1,607%)
  3. United Kingdom: $502.4 million (up 91.9%)
  4. Ireland: $339 million (up 91.4%)
  5. Netherlands: $300.8 million (up 166.9%)
  6. Spain: $205.8 million (down -92%)
  7. Belgium: $111.3 million (up 45.8%)
  8. India: $102.9 million (down -95.9%)
  9. Uruguay: $73.1 million (down -88.3%)
  10. Germany: $62.4 million (down -34.1%)

By value, the listed 10 countries shipped 94.2% of all exported sheep and lamb meat in 2019

Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporter of sheep and lamb meat since 2015 was New Zealand via its 1,607% gain in value since 2015.

Leading decliners from 2015 to 2019 was Australia thanks to an even steeper -2,777% reduction.

Frozen

The following 10 countries sold the greatest amount of frozen sheep meat on global markets during 2019 by dollar value.

  1. New Zealand: US$2 billion (up 28.9% from 2015)
  2. Australia: $1.9 billion (up 60.9%)
  3. Netherlands: $93.9 million (up 15.7%)
  4. Spain: $75.7 million (up 101.1%)
  5. Uruguay: $73.1 million (up 45.3%)
  6. Ireland: $56.7 million (up 69.5%)
  7. Germany: $48.8 million (up 7.6%)
  8. Belgium: $47.9 million (down -26.7%)
  9. Chile: $35 million (up 24.7%)
  10. United Kingdom: $31.9 million (down -29.8%)

By value, the listed 10 countries shipped 96.9% of exports of frozen sheep meat in 2019. International sales of frozen sheep meat rose 34.2% since 2015 and was up 4.6% from 2018 to 2019.

Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporter of frozen sheep meat since 2015 were Spain (up 101.1%).

Leading the decliners over the 5-year period was the United Kingdom (down -29.8%).

Fresh

By dollar value, the following 10 countries sold the greatest amount of fresh or chilled sheep meat to international buyers during 2019.

  1. Australia: US$335 million (up 46.3% from 2015)
  2. United Kingdom: $245.3 million (up 2%)
  3. Spain: $104.5 million (up 22.7%)
  4. Netherlands: $101.2 million (up 178%)
  5. Ireland: $83.1 million (up 44%)
  6. Russia: $41 million (no 2015 data)
  7. New Zealand: $35.9 million (down -2.4%)
  8. Greece: $33.9 million (up 73.1%)
  9. Romania: $32.4 million (down -10.4%)
  10. Belgium: $17.5 million (up 85.7%)

By value, the listed 10 countries shipped 91% of exports of fresh or chilled sheep meat in 2019. Worldwide revenues from exported fresh or chilled sheep meat gained 31.7% since 2015 but fell in value by -4.6% from 2018 to 2019.

Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporter of fresh or chilled sheep meat since 2015 was the Netherlands (up 178%) and Ireland (up 40.9%).

Romania was the top decliner over the 5-year period.

Lamb

By dollar value, the following 10 countries sold the greatest amount of fresh, chilled or frozen lamb meat on worldwide markets during 2019.

  • Russia: US$575.4 million (up 36.7% from 2015)
  • Australia: $561.8 million (up 36.8%)
  • Netherlands: $502.8 million (up 7.1%)
  • United Kingdom: $349.3 million (up 7%)
  • Ireland: $320.8 million (up 36.9%)
  • New Zealand: $189.6 million (up 0.3%)
  • Spain: $141.5 million (up 19.6%)
  • Belgium: $119 million (up 19.1%)
  • India: $100.2 million (down -8.4%)
  • France: $55.8 million (up 13.4%)

    • By value, the listed 10 countries shipped 94.1% of fresh, chilled or frozen lamb meat exported throughout 2019. International sales of exported lamb meat increased 18.2% since 2015 but retreated by -8.5% from 2018 to 2019.

    Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporter of fresh, chilled or frozen lamb meat since 2015 was Ireland (up 36.9%).

    India was the sole decliner from these suppliers over the 5-year period.



     

    See also Top Beef Exporting Countries, Pork Exports by Country, Chicken Exports by Country and Top Goat Meat Exports by Country

    Research Sources:
    Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on May 30, 2020

    International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 30, 2020

    Wikipedia, Sheep. Accessed on May 30, 2020