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MICA Week Daily Update: Friday, November 6, 2026

What importers, exporters, and beef and pork buyers are watching on the close of MICA week.

  • West Coast watchmen deadline is tonight. PMA and ILWU Local 26 extended the contract through midnight PT Friday, Nov 6; talks continue today with federal mediators. Local 26 covers about 250 watchmen (~2% of the ILWU force), but a strike would hit terminals handling more than half of LA/Long Beach cargo (about 85% at Long Beach, 33% at Los Angeles). USMEF notes roughly two-thirds of waterborne U.S. beef exports and about half of waterborne pork move through West Coast ports. (PMA, USMEF via MEAT+POULTRY)
  • September U.S. beef exports edged higher; pork stayed soft. Per USDA data compiled by USMEF (released Nov 5), September beef export volume rose 1% year over year to 81,310 mt and value climbed 8% to $712.4 million, led by Taiwan, Korea, and the Caribbean. Pork exports fell for a fifth straight month: 216,353 mt (−7.5%) and $591.3 million (−13.5%). Jan–Sep beef value held near $7 billion on 6% lower volume (802,460 mt); pork volume was up 0.3% at 2.17 million mt while value slipped 2% to $6.1 billion. (USMEF)
  • Mexico still dominates U.S. pork, but the growth run cooled. September pork shipments to Mexico were 91,192 mt (−14% year over year) and $203.3 million (−22%). Jan–Sep Mexico volume was 847,658 mt (−5%) valued at $1.92 billion (−6%), as Mexican production rebounded and variety-meat volumes recovered slowly after the May–mid-July suspension. Central America is on a record pace: September +25% to 16,916 mt / $53 million. China pork remained pressured by oversupply and retaliatory duties (Sept 23,185 mt, −19%). (USMEF)
  • Imported lean still sits under domestic; Brazil under-filled the extra quota. Last USDA Import Trade Beef print (10/30) had AUS/NZ East Coast 0–15 day cow 90CL at $341–344/cwt, with import prices “mostly moderately to sharply higher.” Steiner/MLA noted Australian 90CL about 12% under domestic and Brazilian about 16% under that week. Mecardo (Nov 3) said the Brazil tariff exemption did not deliver the lean volume the trade expected, and imported 90CL found support even as domestic lean eased. (USDA AMS NW_LS421, Mecardo)
  • MICA week wrap. MICA’s 65th AGM & Conference ran Nov 2–4 in Scottsdale. Buyers leave with firmer imported lean, a still-open Tranche 3 lean-trim TRQ window through Nov 30 (or until filled), soft U.S. pork export value into Mexico/China, and a live LA/Long Beach labor clock tonight. (MICA)

Prices are published market indicators, not USA Meats offers. Met at MICA this week? Contact the USA Meats team.

MICA Week Daily Update: Thursday, November 5, 2026

What importers, exporters, and beef and pork buyers are watching today.

  • West Coast meat export clock runs to Friday night. The Pacific Maritime Association and ILWU Local 26 extended the watchmen contract through midnight PT Friday, Nov 6, with federal mediation continuing. Local 26 covers about 250 workers (~2% of the ILWU force), but a strike would hit terminals that handle roughly 85% of Long Beach cargo and 33% of Los Angeles cargo. USMEF notes that about two-thirds of waterborne U.S. beef exports and roughly half of waterborne pork move through West Coast ports, with chilled product especially exposed via Oakland feeder vessels. (PMA, USMEF via MEAT+POULTRY)
  • September beef imports jumped hard. USDA/FAS data in the Steiner/MLA Sept meat trade update (released 11/4) show U.S. beef and veal imports up 41.7% by volume and 45.9% by value versus Sept 2025. Brazil led the volume gain (+31,484 MT), with Uruguay, Australia and Argentina also higher. Jan–Sep import volume reached about 1.64 million MT, up from 1.37 million MT a year earlier. (MLA/Steiner September Meat Trade Update)
  • Domestic 90CL kept easing into the holiday week. USDA AMS fresh 90CL lean trimmings printed 367.86¢/lb on Wed 11/4 (−0.8% day-over-day, −5.7% week-over-week). Against the last Import Trade Beef print (10/30), AUS/NZ cow 90CL midpoints near 342.50¢/lb and South American cow 90CL near 307¢/lb on the East Coast 0–15 day spot, so imported lean still sits well under domestic. (meatread.com / USDA LM_XB401, USDA AMS NW_LS421)
  • September pork exports stayed soft, led by Mexico. The same Steiner/MLA update shows U.S. fresh/frozen/preserved pork export volume down 5.1% in September versus a year ago, with Mexico the biggest drag (−9,311 MT). Pork variety-meat exports were also lower, with China among the larger declines. Mexico still takes about 42% of Jan–Sep U.S. pork shipments. (MLA/Steiner September Meat Trade Update)
  • USMEF keeps pushing U.S. beef and pork into Asia foodservice. On 11/3 in Jakarta, USMEF trained 25 executive and sous chefs on alternative U.S. beef cuts and pork menu apps with importer PT Indoguna Utama; influencer reels from the event drew more than 80,000 views. (National Provisioner / USMEF)

Prices are published market indicators, not USA Meats offers. Meeting at MICA this week? Contact the USA Meats team.

MICA Week Daily Update: Wednesday, November 4, 2026

What importers, exporters, and beef and pork buyers are watching today.

  • Imported 90CL is finding a floor. Even with the South American tariff break and a falling domestic lean market, imported grinding beef has stopped following domestic prices lower. Mecardo (11/3) notes the Australian-dollar import price is down 6% since late July and expects domestic lean to turn up once the tariff exemption expires and the seasonal dairy cow cull ends. (Mecardo)
  • Three weeks left on the lean trim tariff break. The 300,000 MT "other countries" lean trimmings quota charges $44 per tonne instead of the usual 26.4% duty and ends 11/30. Brazil has extra reason to ship here: it filled its China quota, so its beef has faced a combined 67% tariff in China since 10/1. Argentina's own fourth 20,000 MT tranche stays open through 12/31. (Brazil MAPA, Beef Central, CBP Quota Bulletin 26-226)
  • U.S. beef supply keeps tightening. U.S. beef production is projected down about 4.6% in 2026 and another 2–3% in 2027. Through August, beef imports were up 14.3% and exports down 12.6% from a year ago. (Farm Progress)
  • Pork export demand is leaning on Mexico. USDA weekly export sales for the week ending 10/22 showed 42,278 MT of net pork sales, with 23,253 MT to Mexico and only 255 MT to China. The next report comes out Thursday, 11/5. Rabobank (11/3) reports U.S. belly prices down 39% from a year ago, their lowest for the season since 2017, and flags Mexico's antidumping investigation into U.S. hams and shoulders as a trade risk. (Morning Hog Wallow, USDA FAS data, National Hog Farmer)
  • Mexico becomes the world's top pork importer. AMI projects Mexico will import a record 1.72 million tonnes of pork in 2026, ahead of Japan and China (about 1 million tonnes). (Mexico Business News)

Prices are published market indicators, not USA Meats offers. Meeting at MICA this week? Contact the USA Meats team.

MICA Week Daily Update: Tuesday, November 3, 2026

What importers, exporters, and beef and pork buyers are watching today.

  • Imported lean beef firmed last week. USDA's Import Trade Beef report for 10/30 had imported 90% cow meat at $341–344/cwt and 95% bull meat at $362–365/cwt, with prices "mostly moderately to sharply higher" on stronger demand for Australian and New Zealand product. (USDA AMS Import Trade Beef)
  • The import discount to domestic is narrowing. Domestic 90CL cutter cow prices are down 22% since July, the largest seasonal decline in over a decade. Australian 90CL now trades about 12% under domestic 90CL and Brazilian about 16% under, per the 10/30 Steiner report published by MLA. (MLA Weekly US Imported Beef Market Report)
  • The last tranche of the extra lean-trim quota opened Monday. CBP opened Tranche 3 (100,000 MT) of the 300,000 MT "other countries" lean trimmings TRQ on 11/2, and it runs through 11/30 or until filled. Brazil filled only 44% of the September tranche, according to Steiner figures cited by Mecardo. (CBP Quota Bulletin 26-232, Mecardo)
  • Australian supply eased in October. Australia exported 128,836 t of beef in October, 3% below September and 8% below a year ago, but it is still up 71,000 t year to date at 1.338 million t. China takes far less because of its 55% tariff. (Beef Central)
  • U.S. pork exports to Mexico are softer. August pork exports were 222,243 mt (down 6% from a year ago), and shipments to Mexico fell 12% to 90,560 mt as Mexican production rebounded and ham demand softened. U.S. beef exports rose 4% to 86,362 mt. (USMEF)

Prices are published market indicators, not USA Meats offers. Meeting at MICA this week? Contact the USA Meats team.

MICA Week: US Beef & Pork Trade Snapshot (Nov 2, 2026)

Beef imports: a record year

  • 6.347 billion lb: USDA's 2026 import forecast, up nearly 18% on 2025. 2027 is forecast at 6.175 billion lb. (USDA ERS LDP-M-388, Oct 2026)
  • August imports were 520 million lb, up 26% year over year. Every major supplier shipped more. Through August, Australia led with 985 million lb, ahead of Brazil (877), Canada (656) and Mexico (539). (ERS, same report)
  • Year to date through late October, imports are 1.65 million MT, up 19.5%. Argentina is up 166%, Brazil 43% and Australia 15%. (MLA/Steiner weekly, Oct 30)

Lean trim pricing (for grinders and buyers)

  • Imported 90CL is about $3.13/lb (frozen, CIF East Coast, 30–60 day). That is 18¢ below a year ago. South American spot traded as low as $2.98, with 2027 entry at about $3.12, so forward prices sit above spot. (S&P Global Platts, Oct 2026)
  • Domestic fresh 90CL averaged $393/cwt. That is down 12.5% since early September, roughly twice the normal seasonal drop. (MLA/Steiner, Oct 16)
  • Imported beef still trades below domestic, but the gap is narrowing. Australian beef is about 12% under domestic 90CL and Brazilian about 16% under. 90CL cutter cows are down 22% since July. (MLA/Steiner, Oct 30)

Quota and tariff watch

  • Expanded "other countries" trim TRQ: an extra 300,000 MT, released in 30-day tranches from Sept 1 to Nov 30, 2026. Out-of-quota product pays 26.4%. The quota is filling slowly: only about 13% of the October tranche had been used by Oct 13. (Ag Proud / USDA ERS; MLA Oct 16)
  • Argentina: a temporary extra 80,000 MT, issued in four quarterly tranches. The Q3 tranche filled, and the final tranche opened Oct 1. (ERS)
  • 2027 risk: Brazil faces the 26.4% out-of-quota rate once the 2027 quota fills, which is expected by late January. China's 1.1 million MT low-tariff quota also resets, so Brazilian offers for 2027 are thin. (MLA Oct 16; Beef Central)

US beef exports

  • 2026 forecast: 2.343 billion lb, down about 9%. August exports were about 198 million lb, up 4% year over year, but exports through August are down about 13%, and lower shipments to China account for more than half of that drop. (BeefWeb summary of USDA)

US pork exports

  • August exports were 222,243 MT ($606.3M), down 6%. (USMEF, Aug data)
  • Mexico: 90,560 MT in August, down 12% in volume and 22% in value. Pseudorabies-related restrictions since May are a factor. Through August, Mexico is 3% below last year's record. (USMEF)
  • China: 29,528 MT in August, down 6%, mostly variety meats under a 47% tariff. Through August, volume is up 9% but value is down 4%. (USMEF)
  • Other markets: the Dominican Republic is up 23% through August and Colombia was up 37% in August. Korea is down 8% through August as Spanish pork gains share there. (USMEF; American Pork Club)
  • USDA cut its 2026 and 2027 pork export forecasts because of lower production and weaker Western Hemisphere demand. (Oct WASDE via Cattle Range)

What it means this week

  • Beef buyers and grinders: spot imported lean is soft and forward prices are higher. Q1 2027 tariff exposure is the key thing to plan around.
  • Importers: the TRQ ends Nov 30, and no extension is assured.
  • Pork exporters: Mexico access and China tariffs set the tone, so the growth markets are in Latin America and the Caribbean.

At MICA in Scottsdale, Nov 2–4. Contact USA Meats.