The value of U.S. dairy product exports slipped a little in November 2013, but still topped $500 million for the eighth consecutive month, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service and the U.S. Department of Commerce. At $587 million, November exports were down 6% from October 2013, but up about 47% from the November 2012 total of $398 million.
At $287 million, the value of November 2013 imports was down 6% from October 2013 and down about 4% from November 2012. The November dairy trade surplus (exports minus imports) was $300 million.
Calendar year 2013 (CY ’13, Jan.-Nov. 2013) exports total $6.198 billion, up about 29% from the same period in record-setting CY ’12. CY ’13 imports total $2.881 billion, up about 1% from the same period in CY ’12. The CY ’13 dairy trade surplus stands at $3.317 billion.
At $122 million, November 2013 cheese imports were down 4% from October 2013 and down about 6% from November 2012. CY ’13 cheese imports total $1.039 billion, up 8% from the same period in CY ’12.