Uruguay meat exports fall in 2026, but higher prices support revenue

Uruguay’s meat sector is exporting significantly less in 2026, but stronger international prices have kept revenue broadly stable.

Data from the National Meat Institute, INAC, show that Uruguay exported 255,700 tonnes of meat and meat products from January through May, down 16.2% from the same period in 2025. Export revenue totaled US$1.324 billion, just 3% below the level recorded in the first five months of last year.

The difference came from prices. Across all meat products shipped abroad, the average export price reached US$5,180 per tonne, up 15.7% year on year.

Beef remains the main export product

Beef continues to dominate Uruguay’s meat export basket, accounting for more than 83% of sector revenue.

In the first five months of 2026, Uruguay exported 195,900 tonnes of beef, generating US$1.108 billion. The average price reached US$5,656 per tonne, up 17.6% from the same period last year.

Sheep meat also posted a sharp increase in value. Exports totaled 4,400 tonnes and generated US$30 million, with the average price rising 34.2% to US$6,832 per tonne.

The chart below shows the share of the main meat products in Uruguay’s seaborne exports between January and April 2026. The data was collected and processed by Datamar:

Meat Exports | Uruguay | Jan-Apr 2025 | TEUs

Fonte: DataLiner (clique aqui para solicitar uma demonstração)

Lower supply helps sustain prices

The rise in Uruguayan meat prices comes as fewer animals are available for slaughter.

According to INAC, 922,000 cattle were slaughtered from January through May, down 17.8% from the same period in 2025. Sheep slaughter fell even more sharply, by 29.1%.

That combination of tighter supply and firm international demand helped lift average export prices, offsetting part of the decline in volumes.

USMCA bloc overtakes China as top destination

One of the main shifts in 2026 has been the rise of the USMCA bloc — the United States, Mexico and Canada — as the leading destination for Uruguayan meat.

The bloc bought US$443.6 million worth of meat from Uruguay, equivalent to 33.5% of the sector’s export revenue. China ranked close behind, at US$402.6 million, or 30.4%, while the European Union came third, with US$230.8 million, or 17.4%.

The change reinforces a trend seen in recent years, with North America gaining importance for Uruguayan meat, especially during periods of higher prices.

More value, less volume

The figures show that 2026 has been shaped more by value than by volume.

Although Uruguay is shipping less meat, higher international prices have helped protect sector revenue and increase the average value received per tonne exported.

For a country with more limited production scale than the world’s largest meat exporters, capturing more value per kilo can be as important as expanding shipment volumes.

Source: adapted from El Observador and BeefPoint.

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