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Favorable pricing and weather conditions for New Zealand cattle farmers have resulted in a retention of finishing cattle on farms and less slaughter in 2024. Farm operations face challenges with continuing financial pressure such as high debt, increasing on-farm inflation, and declining farmgate margins.

Brazil is the second largest beef producing country and the largest beef exporting country in the world. Post expects decreased slaughter in 2025, due to the forecast start of the reversion of the cattle cycle.

India’s 2025 beef production (mostly carabeef) is forecast at 4.64 million metric ton (MMT), up from 4.57 MMT in 2024. The large cattle inventory, Post forecasts at 307.5 million head in 2025, is expected to continue facilitating the increased slaughter and carabeef production.

In 2023, Peru was the 28th-largest market for U.S. agricultural exports, valued at $851 million, making it the 3rd-largest market in South America. The U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) entered into force in February 2009, and U.S. agricultural exports reached $1 billion for the first time in 2014, peaking at $1.36 billion in 2018. The United States accounts for 14 percent of Peru's agricultural import market share, positioning it as the second-largest supplier to the country.

On December 30, 2024, the Ministry of Trade and Integration announced the first stage of 2025 meat and poultry quotas by HS code for historic suppliers (i.e., importers). The first stage approved the distribution of 2,835 tons of beef and 31,500 tons of poultry.

Ample opportunities exist for U.S. agricultural exports to South Korea. Highlighted in the chart above, U.S. agricultural product exports were a record $9.5 billion in 2022, up 2 percent from 2021. South Korea is the sixth largest export market for the United States, thanks in part to a successful free trade agreement (KORUS) between the two countries and a robust demand for high-quality U.S. food products.