Australia has officially broken the record for the highest volume of beef exported in a calendar year, with year-to-date exports reaching 1.398 million tonnes, up 15% year-on-year.
This milestone reflects broad-based global demand for high-quality Australian red meat and the strength of the industry’s domestic productive capacity, according to Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).
The United States remains Australia’s largest beef export destination, with 412,068t shipped so far this year, up 17% year-on-year (YoY).
This growth is particularly significant given the implementation of a 10% tariff on Australian exports including beef, which has since been removed.
While the tariff was in place, Australian beef exports remained strong and resilient due to exceptionally strong US demand and exacerbated by historically low domestic beef production.
Australian meat exports
Japan and Korea continued to deliver steady demand, up 2% and 10% YoY respectively, while other markets across Asia and the Middle East also contributed to the record-breaking year.
Grain-fed beef exports also hit a record for the country, totalling 403,860t, an increase of 19% year-on-year.
In addition to beef, goat meat exports have also set a new all-time record, with 54,699t shipped year-to-date, up 16%. November 2025 was the biggest month ever for goat meat exports, with 5,923t exported globally.
Goatmeat plays an increasingly important role in Australia’s red meat portfolio, particularly in meeting the needs of diverse consumer bases across North America, Asia, and the Middle East, according to MLA.
General manager for International Markets with MLA, Andrew Cox said the record-breaking results highlight the competitiveness of Australian red meat on the global stage.
“These results reflect the strength of Australia’s production systems and the commitment of our producers.
“Australian red meat continues to be trusted and valued across a wide range of international markets, and we’re well positioned to build on this momentum.”
While beef and goatmeat exports have soared, lamb and mutton exports softened slightly compared to last year, though lamb performed marginally better than expected thanks to a strong spring flush and robust demand.
Lamb exports reached 316,065t year-to-date, down 5%, while mutton totalled 193,641t, down 16%.
November lamb exports were 26,337t, slightly below last year, with strong growth into North America where shipments rose 15% year-on-year to 8,730t, including 7,732t to the US.
Greater China also recorded solid lamb demand, with November exports up 11% YoY to 5,204t, and year-to-date volumes up 19% to 61,053t.
In contrast, lamb exports to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) fell sharply, down 27% year-to-date to 62,847t, while mutton exports to MENA bucked the trend, rising 3% year-to-date to 60,256t, driven by strong demand from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in November.
“Global demand for beef is surging, and Australia is perfectly positioned to meet this momentum into 2026 thanks to record production levels and our reputation for integrity and quality,” Cox said.
