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World's Top Exports

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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$7.08 billion in 2020, up by 29.9% for all sheep and lamb meat shippers over the five-year period starting in 2016.

From 2019 to 2020, the value of exported meat garnered from sheep and lambs decreased by -6.7%.

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 42.8% of the overall total. In second place was exported fresh or chilled cuts of sheep meat including bones (16.5%) ahead of fresh or chilled lamb carcasses and half-carcasses (12.9%) and frozen boneless cuts of sheep meat (11.9%).

Smaller percentages are attributed to fresh or chilled boneless cuts of sheep meat (6.9%), fresh, chilled or frozen goat meat (4.1%), fresh or chilled sheep carcasses and half-carcasses (3.3%), frozen sheep carcasses and half-carcasses (3%) then frozen lamb carcasses and half-carcasses (1.9%).

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 2020.

  1. Australia: US$2.6 billion (up 42.3% from 2016)
  2. New Zealand: $2.5 million (up 37.4%)
  3. United Kingdom: $560.3 million (up 26.8%)
  4. Ireland: $390.1 million (up 32.4%)
  5. Spain: $207.2 million (up 33.2%)
  6. Netherlands: $196.4 million (up 6.1%)
  7. Uruguay: $73.1 million (up 51.1%)
  8. Belgium: $61.8 million (down -29%)
  9. India: $48.4 million (down -61.4%)
  10. France: $47.3 million (down -5.7%)

By value, the listed 10 countries shipped 95.1% of all exported sheep and lamb meat in 2020

Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of sheep and lamb meat since 2016 are Uruguay (up 51.1%), Australia (up 42.3%) and New Zealand (up 37.4%).

Leading decliners from 2016 to 2020 was India thanks to its -61.4% reduction.

Frozen

The following 10 countries sold the greatest amount of frozen sheep meat on global markets during 2020 by dollar value.

  1. New Zealand: US$2.02 billion (up 58.3% from 2016)
  2. Australia: $1.7 billion (up 55%)
  3. Netherlands: $103.9 million (up 15.6%)
  4. Spain: $78.5 million (up 71.7%)
  5. Uruguay: $73.1 million (up 51.5%)
  6. Ireland: $58.2 million (up 79.9%)
  7. United Kingdom: $48.8 million (up 34.7%)
  8. Chile: $35.9 million (up 47.6%)
  9. Germany: $29.8 million (down -31.6%)
  10. Belgium: $24.5 million (down -45.2%)

By value, the listed 10 countries shipped 97.2% of exports of frozen sheep meat in 2020. International sales of frozen sheep meat rose 48.3% since 2016 but was down -5.7% from 2019 to 2020.

Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of frozen sheep meat since 2016 were Ireland (up 79.9%) and Spain (up 71.7%).

The pair of decliners over the 5-year period were Belgium (down -45.2%) and Germany (down -31.6%).

Fresh

By dollar value, the following 10 countries sold the greatest amount of fresh or chilled sheep meat to international buyers during 2020.

  1. Australia: US$958.1 million (up 24.5% from 2016)
  2. United Kingdom: $511.5 million (up 26.1%)
  3. New Zealand: $507.2 million (down -9.9%)
  4. Ireland: $331.9 million (up 26.6%)
  5. Spain: $128.7 million (up 17.2%)
  6. Netherlands: $92.5 million (down -2.9%)
  7. France: $40.6 million (down -2.4%)
  8. Pakistan: $37.8 million (up 41.1%)
  9. Belgium: $37.3 million (down -11.9%)
  10. Greece: $31.9 million (up 36.9%)

By value, the listed 10 countries shipped 94.9% of exports of fresh or chilled sheep meat in 2020. Worldwide revenues from exported fresh or chilled sheep meat gained 9.4% since 2016 but fell in value by -7.8% from 2019 to 2020.

Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of fresh or chilled sheep meat since 2016 were Pakistan (up 41.1%) and Greece (up 36.9%).

Belgium was the top decliner over the 5-year period via an -11.9% retreat.

Lamb

By dollar value, the following 10 countries sold the greatest amount of fresh, chilled or frozen lamb meat on worldwide markets during 2020.

  • United Kingdom: US$291.4 million (up 23.6% from 2016)
  • Australia: $251.9 million (up 13.2%)
  • Ireland: $117.2 million (up 34.4%)
  • Spain: $101 million (up 17.9%)
  • Netherlands: $51.2 million (down -9.7%)
  • New Zealand: $45 million (up 121%)
  • Greece: $31.5 million (no 2019 data)
  • Pakistan: $27.4 million (up 277.8%)
  • Belgium: $18.9 million (up 76.9%)
  • Romania: $14 million (down -39.5%)

    • By value, the listed 10 countries shipped 85.9% of fresh, chilled or frozen lamb meat exported throughout 2020. International sales of exported lamb meat increased 21.8% since 2016 but retreated by -8% from 2019 to 2020.

    Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of fresh, chilled or frozen lamb meat since 2016 were Pakistan (up 277.8%) and New Zealand (up 121%).

    Romania was the leading decliner from these suppliers over the 5-year period, experiencing a -39.5% drop.



     

    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 August 9, 2021

    International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 9, 2021

    Wikipedia, Sheep. Accessed on August 9, 2021