The US export dairy sales continued a strong performance in the first month of 2023, reaching 25,026 tonnes, up 16% year-on-year (y-o-y) and up 21% in value, which equates to a rise of $121.4 million, according to US dairy export council (USDEC). The US dairy products with the highest international demand - cheese, non-fat dry milk/skimmed milk powder (NFDM/SMP) and whey - had double-digit growth compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, sales of less popular export products from the US - butter, anhydrous milk fat (AMF) and whole milk powder (WMP) - dipped.
US NFDM/SMP exports bounced to 68,200 tonnes in January 2023, up 14.8% y-o-y, after being the only major product category to contract in 2022. Mexico was the main growth contributor, being the destination for more than 50% of all US NFDM/SMP exports, at 36,500 tonnes (+74.8% y-o-y, +15,805 tonnes). A stronger Mexican economy, supported by foreign investment and exports, drove dairy imports from the US. However, exports to China dropped to 2,600 tonnes, down 17% y-o-y, reflecting still high stock in the Chinese market.
However, Chinese buyers drove US whey exports, which have shifted away from whey permeate to sweet whey powder (SWP). US dry whey exports totalled 44,500 tonnes (+12% y-o-y, +4,900 tonnes). Also, a fall in price supported Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) 80 international demand in January 2023, at 4,600 tonnes (+40% y-o-y, +570 tonnes).
Despite competitive cheese prices from the EU, US exports increased 16% y-o-y (+4,582 tonnes) in January 2023, due to solid geographical diversification, particularly in Latin America, the Middle East and Japan.