Net US beef sales fall 87% in week to March 5, hit marketing year low

The US sold a net 3,200 metric tons of beef, a marketing year low, in the week ended March 12, down 87.4% from the week prior, data from the US Department of Agriculture showed March 19.

During the week, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada, and Indonesia booked the largest volumes of beef.

Total commitments for US beef in the marketing year 2026 (January-December) were 11.2% lower year over year at 248,700 mt, the data showed.

So far in MY 2026, South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, and Hong Kong have been the top buyers of US beef, the data showed.

The USDA estimates beef exports from the US in MY 2026 at 2.395 billion pounds (about 1.09 million mt), down 7.1% from MY 2025, according to its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report published March 10.

For 2026, the USDA estimates US beef production at 25.877 billion lb (about 11.74 million mt), 0.7% lower year over year.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed 90CL beef CIF EC US at $8,378/mt on March 18 for a 30-to-60 day shipment period, unchanged day over day. Platts assessed 95CL beef CIF EC US at $8,907/mt on March 18 for a 30-to-60-day shipment period, unchanged day over day.