The Meat Industry Association says the increase was driven by strong global demand and tight supply across the board.
New Zealand exported red meat and fifth quarter products worth $11.7 billion during 2025, a 19% increase on 2024, and a record value for a calendar year, according to the Meat Industry Association.
The United States was the largest market for the year, up 17% to $3.2b, followed by China, up 2% to $2.5b.
Exports to the European Union increased 42% to $1.8b, the United Kingdom by 64% to $858m, and Canada by 52% to $644m.
Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said the increase was driven by strong global demand and tight supply across the board.
She said it reinforced MPI’s December Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries report, which found that tight global beef and sheep meat production was pushing prices up, despite economic pressures in China and the impact of global tariffs.
“This result was achieved despite the volume of New Zealand sheepmeat exports being unchanged from 2024.”
She said that while beef exports were down by volume, they also rose in value.
“There was also a very good result for fifth quarter exports, which were up by 8% to $2b.”
Karapeeva said the year also finished on a high note with overall red meat and fifth-quarter exports worth $1.3b for December 2025, 29% higher than December 2024.
She said a growing middle class in many countries and changing eating habits had been factors in the strong performance.
“Consumers are becoming more health-conscious and seeking out natural protein and nutritious whole foods.
“We are seeing many people eating less but better-quality food at higher price points.”
Sheepmeat exports totalled 371,222 tonnes, almost the same as in 2024 but with value up 31% to $4.7 billion.
The average value was $12.62 per kg, compared to $9.65 per kg in 2024.
China was the largest market by volume, taking 156,345 tonnes.
This was 7% lower than 2024, but a recovery in prices during 2025 saw value increase 17% to $1.1b.
The EU was the second-largest market by volume at 69,837 tonnes, up 17%.
It was the most valuable sheepmeat market in 2025, with export value up 50% to $1.4b.
Tight EU domestic supplies contributed to this.
While EU data for the full year isn’t yet available, sheepmeat production was 3.4% lower in the year to October than the same period in 2024.
Export volumes to the UK were down 13% to 36,365 tonnes and 6% to the US to 32,581 tonnes.
However, high global prices saw the value of exports to both these markets increase in 2025, with the US up 10% to $685 million and the UK up 27% to $527 million.
Exports to Saudi Arabia grew by both volume and value, up 29% by volume to 8940 tonnes and 80% by value to $97 million.
More than 95% of sheepmeat exports to Saudi Arabia are frozen, so this market will also benefit from tariff cuts when the NZ-Gulf Cooperation Council FTA comes into force.
As well as reduced domestic supply in key markets like the EU, the high global prices were also partly driven by a reduction in sheepmeat exports from Australia.
Compared with 2024, the volume of beef exports fell 7% to 447,610 tonnes. However, the value increased by 15% to a record $5 billion.
The US was the largest market for the year, taking 173,056 tonnes, down 5%, but high prices meant a 17% increase in value to $2.1 billion.
The drop in volume likely reflected reduced volume of overall New Zealand exports and may also be partly because of increased exports to the US by other countries.
Australia exported more than 450,000 tonnes of beef to the US in 2025, 15% more than in 2024.
US imports from Brazil up to the end of November were also nearly 30% above the same period in 2024, despite the impact of higher tariffs on Brazilian imports in the second half of the year.
China was the second-largest beef market for the year, but volume dipped 23% to 112,246 tonnes, and value dropped by 16% to $876 million.
New Zealand exports were likely impacted by China continuing to import large amounts of beef – more than 2.1 million tonnes – from South America.
Canada was the third-largest market, with volume up 29% to 36,590 tonnes and the value up 65% to $422 million.
This was because of a combination of tight domestic supply and strong demand for beef.
Japan was the fourth largest market for the year, taking 25,968 tonnes of beef worth $317 million.
Outstanding growth in exports to the UK, the fifth-largest market for the year, put it ahead of other major markets, such as Korea and Taiwan.
Exports to the UK were up 378% by volume to 21,116 tonnes and 389% by value to $278 million.
This was largely because of improved access under the NZ-UK Free Trade Agreement, and also partly because of reduced domestic supply, with UK beef production down by 3.5% from 2024.
It was also a good year for fifth-quarter exports, which were up 8% to $2 billion.
The largest categories were: casings and tripe, up 14% to $374 million; offals up 6% to $365 million; prepared meat products up 9% to $280 million, and blood products, up 3% to $279 million.
The major markets for the year were China, up 11% to $534 million, the US, up 35% to $402 million and the EU, up 12% to $258 million.
Fifth-quarter exports to China mainly consisted of casings and tripe, hides and skins, and offals.
The US mostly took tallow, blood products and prepared meat products. Exports to the EU were mainly hides and skins and blood products.
Exports to nearly all major markets increased in December 2025, compared to December 2024.
The US was the largest market, up 5% to $317 million.
The EU had significant growth, up 80% to $182 million, the UK increased by 97% to $122 million, and Canada by 91% to $87 million.
China was the only major market to see a reduction, but it remained the second-largest market, with exports down 5% to $284 million.
Sheepmeat exports were up 9% by volume to 38,888 tonnes, and the value was up 42% to $518 million.
Beef exports were down 1% by volume to 47,771 tonnes, but the value increased 20% to $593 million.
Fifth-quarter exports were worth $190m, 24% higher than in December 2024.
- Supplied by Meat Industry Association