Foreign currency revenue for Uruguay from exports of all meat products showed strong growth in the year-to-date period of 2026 compared with the same stretch of 2025, the country\u2019s National Meat Institute – INAC – said this week.<\/p>\n
Through March 21, export revenue totaled $710.1 million, up 7.1%.<\/p>\n
That result was based on shipments of 140,828 tonnes, measured in shipment weight, down 9.47%.<\/p>\n
Average export prices reached $5,042 per tonne, up 18.24%.<\/p>\n
Looking specifically at beef, which accounts for the vast majority of meat exports from Uruguay\u2019s meat industry, it continues to rank as the most relevant agribusiness product among the country\u2019s main generators of export revenue.<\/p>\n
It is followed by pulp, beverage concentrates, dairy products, rapeseed and carinata, wood and wood products, vehicles and rice, meaning that eight of Uruguay\u2019s top 10 export goods come from agribusiness.<\/p>\n
According to Uruguay XXI data through the end of February, beef exports rose 8% from the same period last year.<\/p>\n
The United States, Canada and Mexico accounted for 35% of revenue, at $251.2 million, up 1.9%.<\/p>\n
China represented 28%, at $195.7 million, up 10.9%.<\/p>\n
The European Union accounted for 18%, at $127.1 million, up 12.5%.<\/p>\n
Israel represented 5%, at $37.1 million, up 0.1%.<\/p>\n
Mercosur accounted for 3%, at $23.4 million, up 3.1%.<\/p>\n
Looking only at beef exports, which account for 84% of total foreign currency revenue generated by all meat exports, income rose 8.8% from 2025 to 2026, again through March 21, reaching $593.2 million.<\/p>\n
In volume terms, measured in shipment weight, Uruguay exported 79,029 tonnes of beef, down 6.9%.<\/p>\n
Average beef export revenue between January and March 2026 reached $7,506 per tonne, up 17% from the same period of 2025.<\/p>\n
Container throughput data obtained by Datamar<\/a> points to an upward trend in Uruguay\u2019s long-haul beef shipments. See more details below:<\/p>\n Beef Exports | Uruguay | Jan 2022 – Feb 2026 | TEUs<\/strong><\/p>\n \n