By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOT A recent article Korea’s high lifestyle magazine, Luxury, points to U.S. beef being the choice meat product of that nation’s renown chefs. In fact, five of the seven restaurants highlighted sold U.S. rib eye and strip loin steaks in conjunction with domestic tenderloins. Korean restaurateur and beef expert, Young-sik Park, who operates six high-end restaurants in Seoul, commented that U.S. beef is “nutritionally great,” and referenced a “healthy menu campaign” that recommends children eat red meat daily. The meat buyer for upscale Shilla Hotel, Yong-ju Lee, stated his confidence in U.S. beef because the cattle are raised on corn, soybeans and grass, and “vitamin-packed” chilled beef is imported to Korea without preservatives. If Korean consumers’ perception of U.S. beef is any indication of an improving U.S. economy, shippers have reason to celebrate over their next prime rib dinner. The 7,500+ cattle producers attending this year’s Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Nashville certainly are optimistic about the current state of the cattle industry. . The turnout was the highest ever. “Our outlook for international markets across the globe is really exciting at this time,” says Kevin Kester, a fifth-generation rancher from Parkville, CA, who chairs the cattle industry’s Joint International Markets Committee. “I believe more and more producers across the nation are realizing the importance of our export markets and how they increase carcass value.” Without question, record beef exports over the past year is driving this positive outlook, as the percentage of U.S. beef production exported (including variety meat) approached 15 percent and export value equated to more than $200 per fed steer or heifer slaughtered. In fact, year-end figures released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) indicate that exports of U.S. beef, as well as pork and lamb, set new records in 2011, reaching all-time highs in both volume and value and exceeding $11.5 billion in total value. Beef exports finished the year at 1.287 million metric tons valued at $5.42 billion and broke the 2000 volume record of 1.28 million metric tons. They also easily surpassed the 2010 value record of $4.08 billion. Export volume was 21 percent larger than in 2010, with value up 33 percent. “It is extremely gratifying to see all red meat exports reaching new heights, even with the various trade obstacles we still face across the world,” says USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng. Beef Export Markets Diversified Greater diversification of export markets is helping to increase beef exports. “By building new markets and steadily reclaiming the market share we lost in Asia due to mad-cow disease, we were able to approach the $5.5 billion mark in 2011,” says Seng. “That’s one-third higher than the 2010 record, and a very significant achievement for the U.S. beef industry. “ Canada was the leading value market for U.S. beef in 2011, reaching $1.03 billion – a 41 percent increase over 2010. Volume to Canada was up 25 percent to 191,047 metric tons. Mexico was the volume pacesetter at 256,938 metric tons (up 4 percent from 2010), with export value totaling $985.3 million (up 20 percent). Exports to Japan surged 27 percent in volume (158,646 metric tons) and 37 percent in value ($874.4 million), while exports to Korea grew by 37 percent in volume (154,019 metric tons) and about one-third in value ($686 million), as the U.S. took significant market share from Australia. The newly ratified Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement offers excellent growth opportunities for both U.S. pork and beef, but USMEF reports that U.S. exporters are especially anxious to gain relief from Korea’s 40 percent tariff on beef, which will be phased out over the next 15 years. Other beef export highlights in 2011 include a record performance in the Middle East, where volume grew 30 percent to 175,181 metric tons and value was up