US cheese exports to the world broke records, according to data from the Department of Agriculture.

After ranking seventh among the world’s largest cheese exporters in 2010, the United States climbed to fifth in 2020, displacing New Zealand and Denmark, and below Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and France.

In 2020, US cheese exports totaled $ 1.612 billion, up 3 percent year-on-year.

A decade ago, in 2010, the United States exported $ 701 million worth of cheese.

Now its main destination markets are: Mexico, South Korea, Japan, Australia and Canada.

Cheese exports

US dairy external sales for April on a milk fat equivalent basis totaled 1,131 million pounds, 117 million pounds more than in March and 435 million pounds more than in April 2020.

On a skim milk equivalent basis, April dairy exports totaled 4.704 million pounds, 107 million down from the previous month, but 839 million pounds more than in April 2020, according to USDA data.

Meanwhile, cheese exports increased in April, reaching a record 89.1 million pounds.

Butter exports for April totaled 10.9 million pounds, more than in any month since June 2014.

Likewise, exports of skimmed dairy products totaled 173.1 million pounds in April, 17.7 million less than in March, but 23.3 million more than in April 2020.

For their part, April whey product exports remained strong at 119.9 million pounds, 6.2 million less than in March, but 25.9 million more than in April 2020.

To conclude, lactose exports totaled 85.5 million pounds in April, 5.8 million more than in March and 13.0 million more than in April 2020.