Uruguay’s meat exports reach USD 3.25 billion in 2025, surpassing 2022 record

Uruguay’s meat exports totaled USD 3.25 billion in 2025, up 26% from 2024 and marking a new all-time high, surpassing the previous record set in 2022. The data comes from the National Meat Institute (INAC), which updates sector statistics on a weekly basis.

In volume terms, Datamar data shows that between January and November 2025 Uruguay shipped 33,436 TEUs, the standard unit in maritime transport equivalent to a 20-foot container. This represented a 4.7% increase year over year, compared with 31,923 TEUs recorded in 2024.

Below is the monthly evolution of Uruguay’s meat exports, including beef, pork, poultry and other products. The data was collected and processed by Datamar’s Business Intelligence team.

Uruguay Meat Exports | 2022–2025 | TEUs

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Beef remained the backbone of Uruguay’s meat export portfolio, accounting for 83.41% of total export value in 2025. Other products, with significantly smaller shares, included offal, primary by-products for industrial use, edible residual by-products, lamb, industrialized by-products, horse meat and meat products used in animal feed.

Uruguay currently has access to more than 100 export markets. Destination choices are made by private operators, primarily based on offered prices—often factoring in tariff levels—along with demand volumes and the regularity of purchases.

In 2025, the three main destinations for Uruguayan meat were the USMCA bloc—comprising the United States, Mexico and Canada—China, and the European Union. USMCA countries led purchases, with imports totaling USD 1.064 billion, or 32.75% of total exports. China followed with USD 940.9 million, equivalent to 28.95%, while the European Union ranked third with USD 669 million, representing 20.59% of the total value.

INAC said the next data update will be released during the week starting January 19.

Overall exports

Across Uruguay’s total exports in 2025, beef, pulp and soybeans formed the leading group of products, together accounting for 48% of the country’s export revenue, which reached USD 11.356 billion. Beef exports generated USD 2.68 billion, a 33% increase year over year and a 20% share of the total. Pulp exports amounted to USD 2.307 billion, down 9% and representing 17%, while soybeans ranked third with USD 1.42 billion, up 18% and accounting for 11%.

Source: El Observador, adapted and translated by DatamarNews

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