New Zealand red meat exports reached record levels during 2025

New Zealand exported red meat and fifth quarter products worth $11.7 billion during 2025, a 19 per cent increase on 2024, and a record value for a calendar year, according to the Meat Industry Association (MIA).

The United States was the largest market for the year, up 17 per cent to $3.2 billion, followed by China up two per cent to $2.5 billion.

Exports to the European Union increased 42 per cent to $1.8 billion, the United Kingdom by 64 per cent to $858 million and Canada by 52 per cent to $644 million.

MIA chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said the increase was driven by strong global demand and tight supply across the board.

“This reinforces the assessment from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) report in December that tight global beef and sheep meat production is lifting prices, outweighing economic challenges in China and global tariff impacts

“This result was achieved despite the volume of New Zealand sheepmeat exports being unchanged from 2024. Beef exports were down by volume but also rose in value.

 “There was also a very good result for fifth quarter exports, which were up by eight per cent to $2 billion.”

Karapeeva said the year also finished on a high note with overall red meat and fifth quarter exports worth $1.3 billion for the December month, 29 per cent higher than December 2024.

“A growing middle class in many countries and changing eating habits have been factors in the strong performance.

“Consumers are becoming more health-conscious and seeking out natural protein and nutritious whole foods. We are seeing many people eating less but better-quality food at higher price points.

“Farmers, processors and exporters and the wider supply chain deserve a great deal of credit for this outstanding performance.

“The red meat sector’s export revenue is generating much-needed income not just for the New Zealand economy, but also regional and rural communities up and down the country.”

Sheepmeat – 2025 calendar year

Sheepmeat exports totalled 371,222 tonnes, almost the same as in 2024 but with value up 31 per cent to $4.7 billion.

The average value was $12.62 per kg, compared to $9.65 per kg in 2024.

China was the largest market by volume, taking 156,345 tonnes. This was seven per cent lower than 2024 but a recovery in prices during 2025 saw value increase 17 per cent to $1.1 billion.

The EU was the second largest market by volume at 69,837 tonnes, up 17 per cent. It was the most valuable sheepmeat market in 2025, with the value of exports up 50 per cent to $1.4 billion.

Tight EU domestic supplies contributed to this. While the EU data for the full 2025 year isn’t yet available, in the year to October sheepmeat production was 3.4 per cent lower than the same period in 2024.

Exports volumes to the UK were down 13 per cent to 36,365 tonnes and by six per cent to the US to 32,581 tonnes.

However, high global prices saw value of exports to both these markets increase in 2025, with the US up 10 per cent to $685 million and the UK up 27 per cent to $527 million.

Exports to Saudi Arabia grew by both volume and value, up 29 per cent by volume to 8,940 tonnes and 80 per cent by value to $97 million.

More than 95 per cent of sheepmeat exports to Saudia Arabia are frozen, so this market will also benefit from tariff cuts when the NZ-Gulf Cooperation Council FTA comes into force.

As well as reduced domestic supply in key markets like the EU, the high global prices were also partly driven by a reduction in sheepmeat exports from Australia.

Beef – 2025 calendar year

The volume of beef exports fell seven per cent compared to 2024 to 447,610 tonnes but the value increased by 15 per cent to a record $5 billion.

The US was the largest market for the year, taking 173,056 tonnes, a drop of five per cent – however, high prices saw the value increase by 17 per cent to $2.1 billion.

The drop in volume likely reflected the reduced volume of overall New Zealand exports and may also be partly due to increased exports to the US by other countries.

Australia exported more than 450,000 tonnes of beef to the US in 2025, 15 per cent more than in 2024. US imports from Brazil up to the end of November were also nearly 30 per cent above the same period in 2024, despite the impact of higher tariffs on Brazilian imports in the second half of the year.

China was the second largest beef market for the year, but volume dropped 23 per cent to 112,246 tonnes and the value was down by 16 per cent to $876 million.

It is likely that New Zealand exports were impacted by China continuing to import large amounts of beef – more than 2.1 million tonnes – from South America.

Canada was the third largest market, with volume up 29 per cent to 36,590 tonnes and the value up 65 per cent to $422 million. This was due to a combination of tight domestic supply and strong demand for beef.

Japan was the fourth largest market for the year, taking 25,968 tonnes of beef worth $317 million.

Outstanding growth in exports to the UK saw it take the fifth largest market spot for the year, ahead of other major markets like Korea and Taiwan.

Exports to the UK were up 378 per cent by volume to 21,116 tonnes and 389 per cent by value to $278 million.

The was largely due to the improved access under the NZ-UK Free Trade Agreement, and also partly due to reduced domestic supply with UK beef production down by 3.5 per cent from 2024.

Fifth quarter – 2025 calendar year

It was also a good year for fifth quarter exports, which were up eight per cent to $2 billion.

The largest categories were: casings and tripe, which increased by 14 per cent to $374 million; offals were up six per cent to $365 million, prepared meat products rose nine per cent to $280 million and blood products increased by three per cent to $279 million.

The major markets for the year were China up 11 per cent to $534 million, the US up 35 per cent to $402 million and the EU up 12 per cent to $258 million.

Fifth quarter exports to China mainly consisted of casings and tripe, hides and skins, and offals. The US mostly took tallow, blood products and prepared meat products. Exports to the EU were mainly hides and skins and blood products.

December 2025 exports

Exports to nearly all major markets increased in December 2025, compared to December 2024.

The US was the largest market up five per cent to $317 million. There was significant growth to the EU up 80 per cent to $182 million, the UK increased by 97 per cent to $122 million and Canada by 91 per cent to $87 million.

China was the only major market to see a reduction but was still the second largest market, with exports down five per cent to $284 million.

Sheepmeat exports were up nine per cent by volume to 38,888 tonnes and the value was up 42 per cent to $518 million.

Beef exports were down one per cent by volume to 47,771 tonnes, but the value increased 20 per cent to $593 million.

Fifth quarter exports were worth $190 million, 24 per cent higher than in December 2024.