U.S. exports of paws/feet last year totaled 346,048 metric tons, 13 percent higher than the 306,853 tons in 2010 but 27 percent lower than the 473,691 tons in 2009, according to the “International Egg and Poultry Review” this week from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Exports of paws/feet set a record of 508,735 tons in 2008.
China and Hong Kong have been the leading markets of U.S. paws/feet for a number of years despite trade disputes in the last few years. Together, China and Hong Kong account for 98 percent of U.S. paws/feet exports in 2011. U.S. exports to China and Hong Kong combined totaled 338,098 metric tons. The 2011 combined total was 16 percent higher than in 2010 (290,507 tons), 27 percent lower than 2009 (463,602 tons), and 32 percent lower than 2008 (494,903 tons). Vietnam and the Philippines have been “battling” back and forth the past few years vying for third and fourth place. Exports have increased since 2008 to Taiwan, Singapore, Haiti, Malaysia, and Trinidad and Tobago. The AMS report is available here.
