Uruguay’s meat exports: China loses ground while other markets gain strength in 2026

By the end of the first quarter of 2026, the USMCA (United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement)—a bloc in which the United States holds predominant weight, with smaller shares from Canada and Mexico—accounted for just over one-third of the foreign exchange earnings generated by Uruguay’s total meat exports.

Specifically, the USMCA accounted for 36% of revenues, totaling US$292.9 million, a slight adjustment compared to the same period in 2025, with a 1.4% decline.

Within this leading bloc, the United States invested US$265 million in Uruguayan meat, while the remainder was split almost evenly between Mexico and Canada.

In second place is China, which had led for many years, with a 28% share and US$230.9 million in contributions. In this case, there was a 9% increase in value compared to the previous year.

In third place is another bloc, the European Union (EU), with a 17% share of the total, amounting to US$141.4 million and an 11.2% increase compared to the same period in 2025.

Two other destinations completing the top five are Israel (5% of the total value, US$42.1 million, up 5.6%) and the Mercosur bloc (3%, US$26.4 million, up 1.4%).

The context

The year 2025 ended with a record inflow of US$3.25 billion in meat exports (US$2.711 billion of which came from beef), a 26% increase from 2024. A total of 693,528 tonnes (shipment weight) were exported, a slight annual decline of 0.6%. The average price reached US$4,686 per tonne, a 25.1% increase compared to 2024. The participation of the three main markets (by value) was as follows: USMCA 33%, China 29%, and the EU 21%.

Beef

Considering only beef (which accounts for 84% of total revenue), in terms of volume (carcass weight), Uruguay exported 125,041 tonnes in 2026 year-to-date, a decrease of 9.7%, according to INAC. The breakdown of the main destinations is as follows:

* USMCA: 41% (53,306 tonnes / -6.6%)
* China: 32% (41,703 tonnes / -6.7%)
* EU: 9% (11,822 tonnes / -21.2%)
* Israel: 4% (5,570 tonnes / -11.7%)
* Mercosur: 2% (2,228 tonnes / -23.8%)

Higher value

Still focusing on beef, the main subcategory by a wide margin, Uruguay exported 125,041 tonnes (carcass weight) so far this year, generating US$688.4 million, with an average price of US$5,506 per tonne (a 16.9% increase compared to 2025).

What Uruguay exports

Considering total foreign exchange earnings up to this point in 2026, 83.6% corresponds to beef sales, followed by offal at 5.2%; primary by-products for industrial use at 3.4%; edible residual by-products at 2.8%; lamb at 2.3%; processed by-products at 1.1%; and horse meat at 0.9%.

Considering all meats, from January to March 2026, Uruguay exported 164,215 tonnes (shipment weight), generating US$823.2 million at an average price of US$5,013 per tonne. Volume fell 9%, revenue increased 4.6%, and the average price rose 14.9%.

Source: El Observador, translated and adapted by BeefPoint.

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