US exporters shipped 17.5% of national milk solids produced during September – a 7-month low but still 1.9% higher YOY. The slowdown in September exports relative to prior months reflected port congestion, with multi-month lows for milk powders, cheese, and butterfat shipments, alongside despite stronger exports of dry whey and higher-concentration whey products.
September cheese exports were 34,104t – up 20.5% YOY, but a 3-month low as shipments to Mexico and Japan were relatively lower than in prior months. SMP/NFDM exports were 70,101t for the month, up 16.2% YOY but an 8-month low on a daily average basis as Mexico’s demand was the weakest since March at 27,191t. Butterfat exports rose 223% YOY in September, while whey and lactose shipments increased 5% and 6% respectively.