U.S. Beef continued.

Along with beef’s great taste, it’s a protein powerhouse and provides a variety of essential nutrients that support overall health. For example, a 3-ounce serving of lean beef provides 10 essential nutrients in about 170 calories, including high-quality protein, zinc, iron and B vitamins.

2024 ended as a strong year for U.S. beef. November exports of U.S. red meat posted year-over-year gains across all categories, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

From January – November 2024, exports increased 5 % in value ( $ 9.56 Billion ) from the same period in 2023 while volume was basically steady to a year ago.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation has worked diligently over the last several years to build demand for U.S. beef in Africa and the Middle East. USMEF’s strategic focus in the African region is focused more on long term development in key regions such as Morocco, West Africa, and South Africa as the economies continue to develop and the middle class continues to further evolve over the next 5-10 years.

According to their website, USMEF was among the 50 ag companies and organizations that recently visited Morocco during a trade mission hosted by USDA. Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley led the delegation, which participated in business-to-business meetings, meetings with Moroccan government officials, studied transportation logistics and visited retail and foodservice outlets in Casablanca.

USMEF Africa Representatives Matt Copeland and Monty Brown, and USMEF Director of Trade Analysis Jessica Spreitzer participated in the trade mission, with funding support provided by USDA’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program.

Morocco has a free trade agreement in place with the U.S. and is the second-largest export market for U.S. agriculture in Africa. “Morocco is a promising market and its free trade agreement with the U.S. could fuel momentum in a broader region of Africa,” says Copeland. “But there are trade barriers to overcome, including technical ones. The major challenge now for U.S. exporters relates to financial risks on containers arriving in Morocco. There are no financial mitigations in place for exporters to receive payment after containers arrive, which adds tremendous risk to any transaction.”

While the market for high-quality beef in Morocco is largely untapped and the U.S. now has duty-free access for Choice and Prime cuts, Copeland points out that modern retail holds a very small share of the market and the cold chain infrastructure is in early stages of development.

Morocco is the sixth largest export market for U.S. beef livers in 2024 as the volume through October totaled 856 mt. Through the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement, U.S. Choice and Prime beef cuts and some standard beef HS codes enter duty-free. But other standard beef HS codes, including livers, remain subject to a tariff-rate quota that increases by 2% per year. The quota volume is 2,692 mt for 2025, indicating room for further growth in U.S. beef liver exports.  

Middle East 

November beef exports to Egypt, a critical destination for U.S. livers and other variety meat, increased 70% from a year ago to 3,955 mt, the highest since 2022. Export value climbed 81% to $6.6 million. This pushed November shipments to the Middle East 40% above a year ago, despite a severe decline to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to an impasse over halal certification. This obstacle has been temporarily resolved but regaining full access to the UAE remains a top priority for the U.S. industry.

Through November, beef shipments to the Middle East region increased 25% in volume (49,901 mt) and 17% in value (215.8 million). This included a 24% increase to Egypt, where exports reached 36,233 mt, while value was up 7% to $58.3 million.

November shipments to Qatar were the highest since 2011 at 362 mt, up 59% from a year ago, while value was record-high at $4.3 million.

Sources: USMEF Website Beef.org