Abrafrigo: beef exports fall 6.6% in volume, but revenue rises 21.4%

Brazilian beef exports lost momentum in volume terms in March, but still posted strong revenue growth, reflecting firmer prices in the international market. Export revenue totaled $1.476 billion in the month, up 21.42% from March 2025, while shipped volume fell 6.65% to 270,530 tonnes, according to data from the Brazilian Association of Meat Packers – Abrafrigo – based on figures from Brazil’s Foreign Trade Secretariat.

Looking only at fresh beef, which accounts for about 90% of the sector’s foreign sales, shipments rose 8.95% in March to 233,790 tonnes, generating $1.36 billion in revenue, up 29.14% year on year.

The performance points to a slowdown from earlier months, as volume had risen 28.7% in January and 24% in February, against a high comparison base following successive records in 2025.

In the first quarter, total beef exports, including processed products and byproducts, reached $4.32 billion, up 32.29% from the same period in 2025. Shipped volume totaled 827,640 tonnes, an increase of 10.98%.

Fresh beef alone accounted for $3.98 billion in the quarter, up 37.45%, with shipments reaching 700,980 tonnes, a gain of 19.92%. The average export price rose 14.61% to $5,642 per tonne.

China remained the main destination, with first-quarter revenue of $1.816 billion, up 41.83%, and volume of 325,680 tonnes, up 39.35%. Average prices rose 15% to $5,578 per tonne. China accounted for 46.4% of exported volume and 45.6% of fresh beef revenue.

Datamar data shows that Brazil exported 7,780 TEUs of beef to China in January 2026, marking a 4.8% year-over-year (YoY) increase. The following chart, compiled using intelligence from the DataLiner platform, details the monthly outbound shipments of Brazilian beef to the Chinese market:

Beef Exports to China | Jan 2023 – Jan 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

The United States held second place, with purchases rising sharply amid a domestic supply shortfall. Fresh beef exports to the U.S. increased 60.96% in value to $588.98 million, while volume grew 28.51% to 98,170 tonnes. Average prices rose 25.25% to about $6,000 per tonne.

Sales of fresh beef to the European Union rose 29.48% in revenue to $187.96 million and 21.16% in volume to 21,710 tonnes, with average prices of $8,656 per tonne, up 6.86%. Considering all products, exports to the bloc totaled $251.57 million, an increase of 49.84%.

Among other relevant markets, Chile increased purchases by 27.6% in volume and 36.9% in value in the quarter, while Russia posted strong growth, with volume up 73.4% and revenue up 91.1%. Mexico also showed consistent growth, with volume rising 37.5% and value increasing 55.6%.

During the quarter, 106 countries increased imports of Brazilian beef, while 49 reduced purchases, Abrafrigo said.

Source: UOL