AUSTRALIA’S chilled and frozen beef exports surged to near record highs in April, reaching 127,172t, as the red meat industry’s production surged sharply.

That figure is up almost 14,800t from the previous month (March), and 21,800t or 21pc higher than April last year.

Last month was in fact the fourth highest export month on record, exceeded only by October (130,000t, all-time record), July and December last year.

However April was in fact an in-month record, beating the previous April high set back in 2015.

Significantly, last month did set an all-time grainfed beef export record for any month of 37,038t. Anecdotally, Australian feedlots are again near full, but a truer indication will come in the next week or two when the quarterly cattle numbers on feed survey is released for the March quarter.

Progressive calendar year to date export data shows Australia has already shipped 438,146t of chilled and frozen beef for the first four months of the year. That’s up almost 57,000t or 15pc on the same period last year, and comes despite a slow February-March caused by flooding and Port of Brisbane closures.

Trump tariff impact?

Stakeholders hoping that April export statistics might help paint a picture of the impact and direction of trade flows from Trump tariffs may have to wait a while longer.

Given that monthly export data often reflect meat sales made 4-6 weeks forward, April is still too soon to give a clearer impression of the impact of Trump tariffs on international beef trade. May, will possibly provide greater guidance on volume trends into the US, China and elsewhere since the tariff factor arrived, but some trade sources suggest it may not be until June that more reliable figures come forward.

That’s because May export figures will carry the burden of four to five lost processing working days in late April caused by the succession of public holidays.

All markets sharply higher

What’s evident in April trade volume (meat sales mostly made in February-March) is that virtually all export customers took more Australian beef.

The United States took a mammoth 37,213t of Australian beef last month, as local manufacturing beef supply looks increasingly thin. Some of that may have represented stockpiling, ahead of the Trump tariff announcements, as a form of hedging insurance, trade sources said.

For Australian product carrying a bill of lading no later than 10 April, it can still clear customs in the US up to 23 May without being subjected to the new 10pc tariff. After that date, however, all Australian product is exposed to the new US ‘reciprocal’ tariff measures.

April shipments to the US were 4900t or 15pc over March volumes, but that’s not unusual as the US heads into warmer temperatures and the annual summer grilling season.

Calendar year to date, exports to the US have reached 129,291t, up almost 34,000t or 35pc on the same four months last year. The US has now been Australia’s largest export customer by volume for the past 18 months.

Trade into China last month lifted, but not out of context with other nearby Asian destinations like Japan and South Korea.

China took 21,572t last month, up about 6.5pc on March, but 30pc higher than April last year. Year to date, exports to China are now at 78,116t, up 27pc on last year.

Sales into Japan last month reached 21,444t, just marginally below China volume. Japan’s volume was up 15pc on March, but was similar to April volume last year.

For the year to date, Japanese volume is now at 76,084t, marginally behind China.

South Korea continued to buy strongly, accounting for 20,076t of Australian beef last month, up 23pc on March and 27pc higher than April last year. Four-month trade has reached 64,775t, up 15pc on the same period last year.

Among smaller and emerging markets, Indonesia last month took 6616t, up 30pc on the prior month, but down 17pc from April last year. Year to date trade has amounted to almost 17,800t, down 19pc on the same period in 2024.

The Middle East region encompassing seven countries took 3031t last month, slightly down on March and back 17pc on April last year, while the United Kingdom accepted 906t in April, more than double this time last year but still coming off a very low base.

Canada has been a growth market for Australian export beef over the past year, accounting for 3322t in April, up from 2853t a month earlier, and 47pc higher than April last year. First four months of the year has seen volume rise to 10,424t, up 20pc on last year.