WASHINGTON – For the month of July, U.S. chicken exports were 270,087 metric tons valued at $293.82 million compared with 317,798 tons valued at $342.58 million exported in July 2009. This represents a 15.0% decrease in quantity and a 14.2% decrease in value, according to the Sept. 10 issue of The National Chicken Council’s Washington Report.

Chicken broiler parts declined 17.0% in quantity and 16.7% in value with July 2010 exports being 252,816 tons valued at $261.71 million compared with July 2009 exports of 304,598 tons valued at $314.36 million. Whole-carcass chicken increased 58.5% in quantity and 52.1% in value and whole prepared chicken and sausages declined 3.2% in quantity and declined 2.l% in value.


During January through July, chicken exports totaled 1,912,540 tons valued at $2,085.18 million compared with 2,143,493 tons valued at $2,214.75 million during the first seven months of 2009. Broiler parts were 1,787,188 tons valued at $1,850.04 million during January-July 2010, 10.8% less in quantity and 5.9% lower in value than year earlier. Whole chicken exports dropped 14.2% in quantity and 15.2% in value while prepared chicken and sausages declined 4.3% in quantity but gained 0.7% in value.

The top three broiler parts markets in July were Mexico, Hong Kong and Ukraine, and all had increases in quantities and values when compared with July 2009.

In other news, the U.S. goods and services trade deficit fell nearly as much in July as it rose in June. The deficit decreased $7.0 billion to $42.8 billion on the strength of a $2.8 billion rise in exports, to $153.3 billion, and a $4.2 billion decline in imports, to $196.1 billion. Compared to a year earlier, the July deficit was up by $9.7 billion (compared to $22.8 billion in June and $17.4 billion in May) as exports saw a $23.7 billion gain (18.3 percent) and imports role $33.4 billion (20.5 percent).

On a country-by-country basis, the U.S. July trade deficit with China fell slightly, from $26.2 billion to $25.9 billion, after two consecutive monthly increases of more than 15 percent. Deficits increased with the European Union (26.9%, to $9.9 billion), and Nigeria and Ireland (each up 4.3%, to $2.4 billion) and decreased with Canada (44%, to $1.4 billion), Taiwan (23.1%, to $1.0 billion), Mexico (14.5%, to $5.3 billion), Korea (9.1%, to $1.0 billion), and Japan (5.8%, to $4.9 billion). The trade surpluses with Hong Kong ($1.8 billion) and Australia ($0.9 billion) were down about 10% each, while surpluses were up with Singapore (20%, to $1.2 billion) and Egypt 100%, to $0.4 billion).