U.S. Dairy Export Volume up 9% in January

Exporters start the year with improved overseas sales of cheese and whey products.    

U.S. dairy exporters picked up in 2018 where they left off at the end of 2017, topping the prior-year level for the third straight month. Suppliers shipped 160,746 tons of milk powder, cheese, butterfat, whey and lactose during the month, up 9 percent from last January. U.S. exports were valued at $415 million, up 1 percent.

Exports of cheese and whey products were particularly strong.

Cheese exports were 26,946 tons in January, up 19 percent from a year earlier. One-third of U.S. shipments went to Mexico, where exports were up 62 percent for the month. Sales to Japan (+40 percent), South Korea (+13 percent) and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region (+31 percent) also were higher.

Total whey exports were 48,656 tons in January, up 18 percent vs. the year before, led by a 30 percent increase in shipments of dry whey. Total whey exports to China were up 8 percent in January, while shipments to Southeast Asia were up by one-third. Sales to Japan more than doubled.

In addition to the large gain in dry whey exports, shipments of whey protein concentrate (WPC) were up 16 percent, year-over-year, and exports of whey protein isolate (WPI) were up 11%. In both WPC and WPI, gains were led by China.

Exports of nonfat dry milk/skim milk powder (NDM/SMP) in January were 49,614 tons, up 3 percent. More than 40 percent of U.S. NDM/SMP overseas sales went to Mexico, where export volumes were up 4 percent from the prior year. Sales to Southeast Asia and China were lower, but this was mostly offset by volume gains to Peru, Pakistan and Japan.

Lactose exports were 30,739 tons in January, up 7 percent. China (+28 percent) was the number-one market for U.S. lactose for the third straight month.

Exports of butterfat were just 1,741 tons in January, down 6 percent. Nearly half the volume went to Canada. Shipments of whole milk powder (WMP) and milk protein concentrate (MPC) remain negligible.

Fluid milk/cream exports were down 7 percent in January, with a steep fall-off in sales to Canada (-64 percent). Meanwhile, shipments to Taiwan were up 56 percent.

Among top markets, gains were strongest for Japan (+31 percent vs. a year earlier), the Caribbean (+29 percent) and the MENA region (+20 percent).

On a total milk solids basis, U.S. exports were equivalent to 13.9 percent of U.S. milk production in January, while imports were equivalent to just 3.1 percent.

To use interactive charts with current and historical trade data, see usdec.org's page on U.S. export data.

Alan Levitt is vice president of communications and market analysis at the U.S. Dairy Export Council.

Learn more about global dairy markets:

• February's Dairy Data Dashboard
• Dairy Buyers Bracing for More EU Cheese, Powder Supply
• U.S. Dairy Exports Up 14% in 2017
• January's Dairy Data Dashboard
• U.S. Export Volumes Highest in More Than a Year
• December's Dairy Data Dashboard
• U.S. Exports Now Falling Short of 2016 Pace

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The U.S. Dairy Export Council fosters collaborative industry partnerships with processors, trading companies and others to enhance global demand for U.S. dairy products and ingredients. USDEC is primarily supported by Dairy Management Inc. through the dairy farmer checkoff. How to republish this post.