Record USA cheese exports and increased demand push prices higher [World News]

USA cheese prices and exports are on the rise

September saw an increase in US cheese prices. This is partly due to record exports in the previous month. In August, 94 million pounds of cheese were exported from the US. This represents a 15 per cent increase over last year and a 5.5 per cent increase over July. Mexico is a large importer of US cheese, with 35 million pounds of cheese from the US going to that country in August. In the context of cheese prices, it is also worth mentioning that domestic stocks are lower than last year, for a steady increase in cheese consumption. Indeed, the average American consumes 42 pounds of the product annually, double the 1975 figure.

How will the cheese market and the dairy sector change?

However, the market situation is still not stable – experts believe that changes in dietary trends in the future could even lead to an oversupply of cheese on the market. Milk production is declining year on year – not only in the USA, but also in other countries such as China. In August, Chinese production fell by 4% compared to the previous year. Milk consumption is also falling. The Chinese government has introduced dairy support policies to stimulate consumption , but it may take some time before these regulations have a visible impact on the market.

The US government is also supporting the dairy sector. The World Dairy Expo took place in early October, where the US Department of Agriculture announced $11 million in funding for the dairy industry. The money will go towards the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives (DBII) programme, which aims to support innovation, growth and competitiveness in the sector.