U.S. cheese shipments to China, South Korea, Mexico and Japan have soared, and the broader outlook is promising as the world’s growing love affair with cheese continues.
In 2016, cheese exports from the five leading global dairy traders – Argentina, Australia, the European Union (EU), New Zealand and the U.S. – increased 5 percent to a record 1.66 million metric tons. And they are picking up steam.
From March to June 2017, exports from the top five exporting countries grew 10 percent from the same period the previous year. Cheese shipments to China, South Korea and Mexico increased more than 25 percent each, while exports to Southeast Asia and Japan jumped 20 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
The main beneficiary was the U.S., which boosted exports 32 percent compared to the previous year – a welcomed shift after significant cheese volume declines in 2015 and 2016.
