Argentine beef exports jump 10 percent

Argentina's beef exports totaled 193,000 tonnes between January and October, up 10 percent from the same period last year, the government said on Tuesday, a year after it rescinded export taxes and restrictions. After taking office last December, Argentina's President Mauricio Macri lifted restrictions on beef exports, a move cheered by producers of one of Argentina's most celebrated products after years of conflicts with former populist President Cristina Fernandez's administration.
The value of beef exports through October totaled $847 million, up 12 percent from the same period last year, and could reach $1 billion for 2016, Argentina's agriculture ministry said in a statement. It added that nearly all the shipments were of fresh beef. According to the government, China was the main destination for fresh meat, accounting for 40 percent of shipments, followed by Chile and Israel with 19 and 17 percent, respectively.