Mexico ranks first among the main importers of U.S. pork, according to data from the Department of Commerce.
The other relevant destinations for the U.S. pork industry are: Japan, South Korea, Canada and China.
From January through November 2024, U.S. foreign sales of pork grew at a year-over-year rate of 8.7%, to $5.941 billion.
Main importers of U.S. pork
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has asked the U.S. Trade Representation (USTR) to agree to more trade agreements to make this industry’s investments in the United States more viable.
Below is the trend of U.S. pork exports, in millions of dollars:
- 2018: 1,013.
- 2019: 974.
- 2020: 922.
- 2021: 1,355.
- 2022: 1,736.
- 2023: 1,988.
- 2024 (January-November): 1,990.
Trade agreements
From the NPPC perspective, many allied countries are in a key position to help protect U.S. consumers and businesses from future supply shocks.
However, these relationships must be formalized through strong, long-term economic initiatives, such as Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
By guaranteeing market access, FTAs provide the necessary incentives for the private sector to invest in diversified and resilient supply chains.
Therefore, the NPPC asked the USTR to leverage these tools to strengthen supply chains and diversify sourcing with strategic partners in the Americas.
Listed below are the top U.S. pork importers, January through November 2024, in millions of dollars:
- Mexico: 1,990.
- Japan: 1,145.
- South Korea: 637.
- Canada: 396.
- China: 311.
Jobs
NPPC represents 43 state producer organizations and the national and global interests of more than 60,000 U.S. pork operations.
More than 500,000 U.S. jobs are supported by U.S. pork production, while U.S. pork exports support more than 155,000 of these jobs, according to NPPC.