Washington—US dairy exports during October were valued at $650.5 million, up 18 percent from October 2020, according to figures released Wednesday by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

That marked the eighth consecutive month in which US dairy exports topped $600 million in value.

Dairy exports during the first 10 months of 2021 were valued at $6.4 billion, up 18 percent from the first 10 months of 2020. That’s just $42 million below the value of US dairy exports for all of 2020.

Leading markets for US dairy exports during the January-October 2021 period, on a value basis, with comparisons to the same period last year, were: Mexico, $1.5 billion, up 27 percent; Canada, $700.2 million, up 13 percent; China, $609.7 million, up 37 percent; Philippines, $367.0 million, up 1 percent; South Korea, $362.9 million, up 15 percent; Japan, $311.6 million, up 14 percent; Indonesia, $276.3 million, down 8 percent; Vietnam, $229.8 million, up 40 percent; Malaysia, $140.1 million, up 2 percent; Australia, $139.2 million, down 8 percent; and Taiwan, $117.7 million, up 13 percent.

US dairy imports during October were valued at $324 million, up 34 percent from October 2020. That’s the fifth month this year in which dairy imports have topped $300 million in value.

Dairy imports during the first 10 months of 2021 were valued at $2.98 billion, up 20 percent from the first 10 months of 2020.

That’s just $40 million below the value of US dairy imports for all of 2020.

Leading sources of US dairy imports during the January-October 2021 period, on a value basis, with comparisons to the same period in 2020, were: New Zealand, $433.5 million, up 13 percent; Ireland, $401.4 million, up 17 percent; Italy, $414.9 million, up 68 percent; France, $234.2 million, up 22 percent; Canada, $203.7 million, up 4 percent; the Netherlands, $177.5 million, up 11 percent; Mexico, $138.8 million, down 23 percent; Denmark, $106.9 million, up 24 percent; and Switzerland, $106.2 million, up 18 percent.

US cheese exports during October totaled 78.4 million pounds, up 44 percent from October 2020. The value of those exports, $155.7 million, was up 31 percent.

Cheese exports during the January-October period totaled 748.3 million pounds, up 11 percent from the same period last year. The value of those imports, $1.5 billion, was up 12 percent.

Leading markets for US cheese exports during the first 10 months of 2021, on a volume basis, with comparisons to the first 10 months of 2020, were: Mexico, 191.3 million pounds, up 9 percent; South Korea, 134.4 million pounds, down 3 percent; Japan, 80 million pounds, up 18 percent; Australia, 46.1 million pounds, down 4 percent; Chile, 27.4 million pounds, up 34 percent; Canada, 23.6 million pounds, up 32 percent; Guatemala, 19.1 million pounds, up 51 percent; and Panama, 19.0 million pounds up 56 percent.

October exports of nonfat dry milk totaled 147.4 million pounds, down 12 percent from October 2020. NDM exports during the first 10 months of 2021 totaled 1.7 billion pounds, up 10 percent from the first 10 months of 2020.

Dry whey exports during October totaled 41.7 million pounds, down 22 percent from October 2020. During the January-October period, dry whey exports totaled 425.3 million pounds, up 7 percent from a year earlier.

Exports of whey protein concentrate during October totaled 24.6 million pounds, down 20 percent from October 2020. WPC exports during the first 10 months of this year totaled 257.5 million pounds, down 2 percent from the first 10 months of last year.

Lactose exports during October totaled 77.6 million pounds, up 13 percent from October 2020. Lactose exports during the January-October period totaled 722.6 million pounds, up 1 percent from the same period in 2020.

Butter exports during October totaled 9.8 million pounds, up 91 percent from October 2020. During the first 10 months of 2021, butter exports totaled 83.4 million pounds, up 122 percent from the first 10 months of 2020.

Exports of ice cream during October totaled 12 million pounds, down 5 percent from October 2020. Ice cream exports during the January-October period totaled 138.4 million pounds, up 9 percent from a year earlier.

Yogurt exports during October totaled 4.3 million pounds, up 42 percent from October 2020. During the first 10 months of 2021, yogurt exports totaled 37 million pounds, up 43 percent from the first 10 months of 2020.

Cheese Import Volume, Value Rise

October US cheese imports totaled 39.4 million pounds, up 15 percent from October 2020. The value of those imports, $147.7 million, was up 28 percent.

Cheese imports during the first 10 months of 2021 totaled 339.5 million pounds, up 16 percent from the first 10 months of 2020.

The value of those cheese imports, $1.2 billion, was up 28 percent.

Leading sources of US cheese imports during the first 10 months of 2021, on a volume basis, with comparisons to the first 10 months of 2020, were:

Italy: 68.8 million pounds, up 32 percent.

France: 35.6 million pounds, up 6 percent.

Netherlands: 31 million pounds, up 14 percent.

Switzerland: 18.4 million pounds, up 6 percent.

Ireland: 18.1 million pounds, up 47 percent.

Spain: 16 million pounds, up 7 percent.

Nicaragua: 15.2 million pounds, up 14 percent.

United Kingdom: 13.2 million pounds, up 27 percent.

Germany: 13 million pounds, up 27 percent.

Greece: 12.3 million pounds, up 20 percent.

Australia: 11.5 million pounds, up 375 percent.

Canada: 11 million pounds, up 13 percent.

Lithuania: 10.8 million pounds, up 53 percent.

Butter Imports Increase

October imports of butter and other butterfat products (primarily anhydrous milkfat) totaled 10.7 million pounds, up slightly from October 2020. Butter imports during October totaled 7.5 million pounds, up 12 percent from October 2020.

During the first 10 months of 2021, imports of butter and other butterfat products totaled 106 million pounds, down 14 percent from the first 10 months of 2020. Butter imports during that period totaled 81.9 million pounds, up 9 percent.

Casein imports during October totaled 7.8 million pounds, up 52 percent from October 2020. Casein imports during the January- October period totaled 81.8 million pounds, up 19 percent from the same period last year.

October imports of caseinates totaled 3.4 million pounds, up 81 percent from October 2020. During the first 10 months of this year, imports of caseinates totaled 39.7 million pounds, up 4 percent from the first 10 months of last year.

Imports of Chapter 4 milk protein concentrates during totaled 5.3 million pounds, up 38 percent from October 2020. January-October imports of Chapter 4 MPCs totaled 39.7 million pounds, up 4 percent from the same period in 2020. Imports of Chapter 35 MPCs totaled 1.2 million pounds, up 73 percent from October 2020. Imports of Chapter 35 MPCs during the first 10 months totaled 12.9 million pounds, up 18 percent from the first 10 months of 2020.