Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2017
1344. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the exports of beef, lamb, pigmeat and dairy to the USA to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38453/17]
View answerCentral Statistics Office (CSO) figures indicate that by the end of June 2017 our overall agrifood exports to the USA were some €520 million, a significant increase from €430 million, found during the same period in 2016. Beverages account for almost half the agrifood exports to the USA.
Dairy exports to the USA in the first half of the year were over 16,400 tonnes (€83.3 million) an increase of 26% on the same period in 2016. Pigmeat exports accounted for €9.1 million (2,273 tonnes) in the first half of 2017.
The latest figures from the United States Department of Agriculture show exports of beef from Ireland to the US amounting to 1,430 tonnes up to and including week 34 of 2017 (week ending 26 August 2017). Exports of beef are running 13% behind last year's level. There were no exports of lamb from Ireland to the US as we do not have sheepmeat access yet.
One of the main factors affecting trade is currency fluctuations and 2017 has seen an unfavourable movement in the exchange rate between the US dollar and the euro.
