Meat is considered one of the most preferred items in meals. Meat is a rich source of all the nutrients that are mandatory for the human body. Some countries import meat items in their countries to cater to the demand of the people. America is also included in the list of meat importing countries, even though America is itself known as a meat exporter in the global market. In this article, we will see about ‘Where Does America’s Meat Come From?’.
Where Does America’s Meat Come From?
America imports meat from its neighboring nations such as Canada and Mexico. A few years ago, Australia and New Zealand were the top importing partners of America. Import from other nations accounts for 8-20 percent of the total meat requirement. The remaining 80 percent meat requirement is catered by the local market of America. States such as Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, North Carolina, Georgia are responsible for fulfilling the meat demands of the American people. America imports Beef and Pork from other countries.
What Are The Primary Sources of Meat Import in America?
Canada and Australia are the major importing partners of the USA. America relies on Canada because of its quality of meat. Besides Canada and Australia, there are some nations that import beef and pork to America. Follow the below-mentioned table to get further details in this context-
| Countries | Pounds | Percentage |
| Australia | 1,258,265,610 | 37.33% |
| New Zealand | 661,286,752 | 19.62% |
| Canada | 628,396,900 | 18.64% |
| Mexico | 391,936,883 | 11.63% |
| Brazil | 149,580,329 | 4.44% |
| Uruguay | 136,901,760 | 4.06% |
| Nicaragua | 103,834,293 | 3.08% |
| Costa Rica | 27,650,880 | 0.82% |
| Honduras | 3,415,398 | 0.10% |
| Japan | 3,109,564 | 0.09% |
| Ireland | 3,107,668 | 0.09% |
| Chile | 1,658,009 | 0.05% |
| Argentina | 1,289,718 | 0.04% |
What Percentage Of Meat Does America Import from Other Sources?
As per the data published in 2011, America imports nearly 8-20% of the meat from other nations. It is very complicated to track the accurate import rate. Once Australia used to be the greatest partner of America in terms of importing meat. In recent times, Canada has successfully replaced Australia.
Canada has emerged as the most reliable meat importing partner of America. According to the published data, America imported 2.1 billion pounds of beef and 0.8 billion pounds of pork in 2011. Over the years, the import rate has increased and keeps increasing because of the high demand for meat in America.
What Kind of Meat Items Does America Import?
Generally, America imports only two meat categories i.e. Beef and Pork. Beef and Pork are considered the dearest food items among Americans. America has enough livestock to cater to the demands of other meat items such as Hog, Chicken, and Turkey. America is known as a meat exporter to the world, yet Canada with other nations such as New Zealand, Uruguay, and Australia took the charge of exporting red meat items to America such as pork, beef, and lamb meat. Coming to the most imported items between Pork and Beef, Beef is being exported more as compared to pork.
Does America Do Quality Check Before Importing Meat?
America, as a nation, is very concerned about the health of its citizens. A meat importer must fulfill the requirements of the FSIS (a branch of USDA which is responsible for monitoring the import of meat and eggs in America). Labeling of FSIS is very important when it comes to importing meat to America. FSIS inspects the meat quality and provides the labeling as per the quality of the meat. To qualify for the labeling round of FSIS a meat importer must fulfill the following requirements:
- Product Name
- Official Inspection Legend With Establishment Number
- Net Weight or Quantity Statement
- Ingredient Statement
- Address Line
Does Meat Contribute to America’s GDP?
As per the published report by John Dunham & Associates, the meat and poultry industry in America is accountable for contributing nearly $1.02 trillion to the US economy which makes up 5.6 percent of the total GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of America. However, this rate is not specific and faces regular fluctuations.
Is America Completely Dependent on Other Nations For Meat?
No, America imports less than 30 meat from other neighboring countries. As per the published data of 2017, American meat companies produce 26.3 billion pounds of beef, 25.6 billion pounds of pork, 5.9 billion pounds of turkey, 80.2 million pounds of veal, 150.2 million pounds of lamb, and mutton, and 42.2 billion pounds of chicken. Below-mentioned are the American states, responsible for producing meat items in America-
- Cattle – Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, California, Wisconsin, Washington, Pennsylvania
- Hog – Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania
- Chicken – Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama
- Turkey – Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas
Conclusion
America’s meat mostly comes from the local meat industry, while 8-20 percent of the total meat is imported from other countries such as Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. Beef and Pork are the top meat importing varieties in the meat segment in America. Since America keeps the health of its people as a top priority, American authorities do a proper quality check before importing meat to America. The meat importing company or firm must fulfill a set of requirements for importing quality meat from other nations. The meat industry is accountable for contributing up to 6% of America’s GDP.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) How does America fulfill their meat requirement?
American states such as Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, produce meat for America. In addition, Canada and Mexico are the top meat importing partners of America.
2) What meat items does America import?
America mostly imports beef and pork. Other meat items such as Chicken, Turkey, and Hog are produced within American states only.
3) How does America ensure the quality of the meat while importing?
American authority FSIS is generally responsible for labeling the meat items so that the quality of the meat item could be ensured.
