September pork export volume was steady with both the August and year-ago levels, while beef exports edged higher in volume and jumped substantially in value, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Greg Hanes, USMEF’s assistant vice president for international marketing and programs, was elected chairman of the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council (USAEDC) this week at the organization’s annual workshop in Baltimore, Maryland.

USMEF recently noted that U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was in China to promote the return of U.S. beef. Following this media reception in Beijing, Perdue participated in a U.S. beef retail launch promotion at a City Super supermarket in Shanghai. Funded through support from the Nebraska Beef Council, the promotional event featured USDA Foreign Agricultural Service representatives, Nebraska Department Agriculture Director Greg Ibach, U.S. beef exporters and USMEF-China staff.

Demonstrating U.S. beef’s continued interest in the European retail sector, USMEF partnered with Giraudi, one of the region’s largest importers and distributors, to promote U.S. beef at the TuttoFood show in Milan, Italy. Funded by the Beef Checkoff Program, USMEF’s efforts included sharing product information and fielding inquiries from professionals in Europe’s food and beverage industry.

U.S. beef exports enter Mexico and Canada duty-free under NAFTA and face very few non-tariff barriers. These favorable access conditions have been a major factor in Mexico and Canada emerging as leading destinations for U.S. beef.

To connect exporters and importers and create interest in alternative cuts of U.S. beef and pork, USMEF hosted 11 leading meat buyers from the ASEAN region for an educational tour of packing plants in Colorado and Iowa. The team’s visit, which also included a stop at a cow-calf operation and face-to-face meetings with packers and traders, was funded by the USDA Market Access Program (MAP), the Beef Checkoff Program and the Pork Checkoff.

USMEF estimates that Vietnam consumed a record amount of imported beef in 2013 and all indicators suggest utilization will grow again this year. Official statistics just released by Vietnamese agricultural authorities show that domestic cattle and buffalo meat production slipped last year, while surging demand from overall economic growth and changes in Vietnam’s foodservice industry provided a strong impetus for beef importers and distributors.