It was another record year for U.S. dairy product export volumes in 2013. In addition, world wholesale dairy prices were among the highest on record. This combination led to the dollar value of U.S. dairy products exports growing by 31 percent to over $6.7 billion, also a new record.
- The total export volume of those dairy products reported by weight (as opposed to liquid volume) increased by 18.8 percent in 2013 to over 4.7 billion pounds. Product categories seeing significant percentage increases in export volume in 2013 compared to the prior year included butter and related butterfat products (up 88.1 percent), dry whole milk (up 87 percent), and condensed and evaporated milks (up 79.9 percent).
- The U.S. exported more than 50 percent of our domestic production of nonfat dry milk (including skim milk powders), lactose and dry whey products in 2013. In addition, the percentages of our domestic production of other products heading overseas is becoming significant; in 2013 nearly 11 percent of butter and related butterfat product production was exported as was over 6 percent of cheese and related products.
- The largest overseas customers for U.S. cheese exports in 2013 were Mexico ($348.5 million, up 26.2 percent), South Korea ($201.4 million, up 26.2 percent), and Japan ($140.7 million, up 13.9 percent).
- Five countries accounted for nearly 65 percent of all U.S. exports of ice cream and related frozen dairy products in 2013; Mexico ($48.8 million, up 10.1 percent), Saudi Arabia ($24.3 million, up 331.1 percent), United Arab Emirates ($18.7 million, up 71.8 percent), Canada ($11.5 million, up 14 percent), and Australia ($10.7 million, up 71.5 percent).
- U.S. imports of dairy products in 2013 totaled just under $2.65 billion, 1.7 percent lower than the prior year. Imports of cheese and related products accounted for 43.2 percent of that total at slightly over $1.14 billion.
Updated April 2014
