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U.S. Beef and Cattle Industry:
Background Statistics and Information

For the most current coverage of the livestock industry see the monthly newsletter Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry. See also current cattle and beef industry forecasts and the market context in light of BSE developments.

U.S. Cattle and Beef Industry, 2002-2007

Retail equivalent value of U.S. beef industry:
    2002: $60 billion
    2003: $63 billion
    2004: $70 billion
    2005: $71 billion
    2006: $71 billion
    2007: $74 billion
Total U.S. beef consumption:
    2002: 27.9 billion pounds
    2003: 27.0 billion pounds
    2004: 27.8 billion pounds
    2005: 27.8 billion pounds
    2006: 28.0 billion pounds
    2007: 28.1 billion pounds
Value of U.S. cattle and calf production:
   2002: $27.1 billion
    2003: $32.1 billion
    2004: $34.8 billion
    2005: $36.6 billion
    2006: $35.6 billion
    2007: $36.1 billion
U.S. beef production (commercial carcass weight):
    2002: 27.09 billion pounds
    2003: 26.24 billion pounds
    2004: 24.55 billion pounds
    2005: 24.68 billion pounds
    2006: 26.15 billion pounds
    2007: 26.42 billion pounds
U.S. beef exports (commercial carcass weight and value):
    2002: 2.447 billion pounds, $2.629 billion
    2003: 2.518 billion pounds, $3.186 billion
    2004: 460 million pounds, $631 million
    2005: 697 million pounds, $1.031 billion
    2006: 1.144 billion pounds, $1.616 billion
    2007: 1.431 billion pounds, $2.175 billion
U.S. beef exports as percent of production:
    2002: 9.0 percent
    2003: 9.6 percent
    2004: 1.9 percent
    2005: 2.8 percent
    2006: 4.4 percent
    2007: 5.4 percent

U.S. commercial slaughter:
   2002: 35.735 million head (including 29.4 million steers and heifers and 5.76 million cull beef and dairy cows)
    2003: 35.49 million head (including 28.7 million steers and heifers and 6.1 million cull beef and dairy cows)
    2004: 32.727 million head (27 million steers and heifers and 5.2 million cull beef and dairy cows)
    2005: 32.387 million head (27 million steers and heifers and 4.86 million cull beef and dairy cows)
    2006: 33.698 million head (27 million steers and heifers and 5.43 million cull beef and dairy cows)
    2007: 34.3 million head (27.9 million steers and heifers and 5.8 million cull beef and dairy cows)
Cattle inventory
- January 1, 2003:
  - U.S.—96.1 million, down from 1996 peak of 103.5 million
  - Canada—13.5 million head
- January 1, 2004
  - U.S.—94.9 million head (cyclical low)
  - Canada—14.7 million head
- January 1, 2005
  - U.S.—95.4 million head
  - Canada—15.1 million head
- January 1, 2006
  - U.S.—96.7 million head
  - Canada—14.8 million head
- January 1, 2007
  - U.S.—97.0 million head
  - Canada—14.3 million head
- January 1, 2008
  - U.S.—96.7 million head
  - Canada—13.9 million head
- See all U.S. and State cattle inventories
Statistics on meat animal production
U.S. livestock outlook/situation:

Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook (includes current situation and forecasts)
World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (all issues)

U.S.-Canada cattle inventories

U.S. Beef Prices

Context before discovery of BSE in the United States, December 23, 2003:
- Average monthly price in November 2003: $4.32/pound, Choice beef
- Previous monthly record high: $3.476 in June 2001, when market was adjusting to similar period of tight beef supplies
- Annual prices in 2003 averaged another record-high, $3.75/pound
- Supply and quality of beef nearing cyclical lows

Post BSE discovery:

Annual prices in 2005 averaged $4.09/pound
Annual prices in 2006 averaged $3.97/pound
Annual prices in 2007 set new record, $4.16/pound

Current cattle/beef prices:
- Daily
- Weekly
Retail beef prices—annual, quarterly, monthly

U.S. Meat and Livestock Trade, 2002-2007

U.S. meat and livestock imports/exports by country—current year-to-date and annual and monthly

Top markets for U.S. beef * (accounting for over 90 percent of total beef exports)
Year	Japan		Mexico		South Korea		Canada
	Volume	Value	Volume	Value	Volume	Value	Volume	Value
	(Million lbs. carcass weight)	($million)	(Million lbs. carcass weight)	($million)	(Million lbs. carcass weight)	($million)	(Million lbs. carcass weight)	($million)
2002	771	854	629	615	597	619	241	286
2003	918	1,182	586	623	587	754	227	309
2004	12	31	333	393	1	2	56	105
2005	17	50	464	584	1	3	106	194
2006	52	105	660	786	1	4	239	415
2007	159	294	586	732	78	124	339	575

*Note: Total beef exports to South Korea and Japan include several processed meat categories, each of which is assumed to contain a specific portion of beef.

U.S.-Canada Beef and Cattle Trade

U.S. cattle imports from Canada:

2002: 1.686 million head
2003: 0.512 million head
2004: 135 head
2005: 0.559 million head
2006: 1.032 million head
2007: 1.405 million head

U.S. cattle imports from all sources:

2002: 2.503 million head
2003: 1.752 million head
2004: 1.371 million head
2005: 1.816 million head
2006: 2.289 million head
2007: 2.495 million head

Share of U.S. cattle imports from Canada:

2002: 67 percent
2003: 29 percent
2004: <0.1 percent
2005: 31 percent
2006: 45 percent
2007: 56 percent

Beef and veal imports from Canada (carcass weight):

2002: 1.091 billion pounds
2003: 0.740 billion pounds
2004: 1.062 billion pounds
2005: 1.092 billion pounds
2006: 0.844 billion pounds
2007: 0.789 billion pounds

Beef and veal imports from all sources (carcass weight):

2002: 3.218 billion pounds
2003: 3.006 billion pounds
2004: 3.679 billion pounds
2005: 3.599 billion pounds
2006: 3.085 billion pounds
2007: 3.052 billion pounds

Beef import share from Canada:

2002: 34 percent
2003: 25 percent
2004: 29 percent
2005: 30 percent
2006: 27 percent
2007: 26 percent

Beef imports from Canada as share of U.S. beef consumption:

2002: 3.9 percent
2003: 2.7 percent
2004: 3.8 percent
2005: 3.9 percent
2006: 3.0 percent
2007: 2.8 percent

Canadian beef markets: U.S., Mexico, Japan, Korea, and other countries.

Value of all Canadian beef/cattle exports (Canadian dollars):

2002
- $1.832 billion in live animals
- $2.166 billion in beef products
- $3.998 billion total sales
2003
- $1.518 billion in live animals
- $0.592 billion in beef products
- $2.110 billion in total sales
2004
- $2.015 billion in live animals
- $0 in beef products
- $2.015 billion in total sales
2005
- $0.628 million in live animals
- $1.886 billion in beef products
- $2.514 billion in total sales
2006
- $1.189 billion in live animals
- $1.357 billion in beef products
- $2.545 billion in total sales
2007
- $1.545 billion in live animals
- $1.228 billion in beef products
- $2.773 billion in total sales

**Note: Some products imported from Canada could be made from animals exported originally from the U.S. In addition, cattle shipments from Canada to the U.S. may include animals transshipped through Canada from Hawaii or Alaska.