Exports of eggs in shell also increased the volume, in 2009 at around 110,000 tonnes (Table 1), they represented less than seven per cent of the global figure. Exports of liquid egg, which have hardly changed over the years at around 20,000 tonnes a year level (Table 5) also amounted to just seven per cent of the world total. Favourable exchange rates and high grain costs worldwide have tended to favour exports of US egg products, which have appeared well priced. The move away from conventional cages in Europe has resulted in these products being less competitive in world markets with the result that the US has picked up some of this business.

On the imports front, the Americas accounts for just four per cent of the world total in shell eggs and of liquid products but eight per cent of the dried egg trade.

Exports of dried egg expanded from under 8,000 tonnes in 2000 to more than 19,000 tonnes in 2009 (Table 3) or 33 per cent of the world total of just over 57,000 tonnes. Easily the major player here is the US, accounting for 80 per cent of the total (Figure 1). However, in 2010, sales from the US alone amounted to nearly 19,000 tonnes. Biggest customer for US products is Japan, with the European Union being the second major buyer though the quantities sold to this market dipped quite sharply early in 2011. While Canada and South Korea are important customers, shipments to the Middle East are growing significantly.

Figure 1. Leading exporters of dried egg in the Americas

In the past, Canada held the number two export position for dried egg sales, reaching 4,300 tonnes in 2009 but then falling back to 3,100 tonnes in 2010. On the other hand, exports from Argentina have trended upwards, pushing Canada into the third spot in 2010 with sales exceeding 3,900 tonnes.

Although imports of dried egg into the region (Table 4) have increased a little, the total in 2009 amounted to only 4,500 tonnes out of a global figure of more than 57,000 tonnes. The major recipients are Mexico and Canada. In 2010, Canada imported 1,900 tonnes of dried eggs while Mexico purchased nearly 1,300 tonnes, according to data published by the International Egg Commission (IEC).

From 2000 to 2009 (the last year for which data is available for all countries), when global exports of shell eggs expanded by almost 74 per cent (Table 1) shipments from the Americas only increased by 18 per cent. Hence, the role which the Americas have played in this trade has contracted from just below 10 per cent to less than seven per cent. Furthermore this region is even less important with regard to shell egg imports, the quantity changing little over the period and representing about four per cent of total exports in 2009 (table 6/2).

Just one country, the US, dominates the export trade from the region. It accounted for some 77 per cent of the regional total in 2009 although this was below the peak of 94,000 tonnes recorded in 2007. One source indicates that in 2009 and 2010, US annual shell egg exports totalled around 54,000 tonnes.

The data released by the USDA is given in millions of dozens rather than by weight. These figures show that exports in 2007 amounted to 250 million dozen, falling to 206 million dozen in 2008. The following year witnessed a recovery to 242 million dozen, increasing further to 258 million dozen in 2010, while the latest forecasts for 2011 and 2012 are for 280 million dozen and 260 million dozen, respectively. However, it should be noted that these totals are for all eggs, shell eggs as well as egg products converted to a shell egg equivalent.

In 2009 and 2010 total exports represented less than four per cent of US table egg supplies. Main buyers of US shell eggs are Hong Kong, Canada and the United Arab Emirate (UAE), which combined account for nearly 80 per cent of the total of around 80 million dozen.

Until recently, the only other significant exporter of shell eggs has been Brazil. The total sold there went up from around 4,500 tonnes in 2000 to 16,500 tonnes in 2007 but then declined to around 10,000 tonnes in the next two years. While figures from another source point to higher exports, it too shows the volume has declined in recent years. Some 90 per cent of her exports are in shell with less than 10 per cent being exported as egg products. According to the Brazilian poultry organisation, UBABEF, in 2010 some 51 per cent of shell egg exports went to Angola and 41 per cent to the UAE.

It has been reported that Mexico will export possibly 10,000 tonnes of shell eggs this year to African and Asian outlets despite their costs of production being higher those of the US, Brazil and some Asian countries.

Shell egg imports have shown little movement over the past decade averaging around 66,000 tonnes a year (Table 2), a situation which is unlikely to alter in the foreseeable future. The bulk is purchased by Canada.

The Americas is not a major player in the trade in liquid egg products, the volumes exported amounting to around 20,000 tonnes a year between 2000 and 2009. However, the US, Canada and Brazil feature strongly in this market with, according to IEC statistics, shipments amounting to nearly 18,000 tonnes, 11,000 tonnes and 2,000 tonnes, respectively, in 2010.

Between 2000 and 2009, liquid egg imports at around 10,000 tonnes were about half of the volumes exported from the region, with significant quantities being purchased by Canada, the US, Mexico and latterly, Venezuela. More recent data indicates that the total has since risen with, in 2010, the US purchasing more than 10,000 tonnes and Canada almost 6,000 tonnes.

March 2012