South Korea a priority target in strategic industry goal to double U.S. egg exports in five years

Chicago, IL (March 25, 2024) – American Egg Board President and CEO Emily Metz and Greg Hinton, VP of sales at Rose Acre Farms in Seymour, Indiana, this week are accompanying agriculture and food industry leaders and various state secretaries of agriculture on a U.S. Department of Agriculture agribusiness trade mission to Seoul, South Korea, led by Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor, March 25-28. The mission will be the second visit by U.S. egg industry leaders in six months to South Korea, a key strategic target market in the AEB’s goal to double U.S. egg exports by 2028.

South Korea is the #5 top export market for U.S. egg products. While on the trade mission, participants will engage in targeted business-to-business meetings and pre-arranged site visits to build new trade linkages, strengthen existing partnerships, observe U.S. products in the marketplace, and discover the latest Korean consumer food trends. Participants will also receive in-depth market briefings from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and industry trade experts.

“Returning to South Korea with the USDA after our very successful egg industry trade mission last November reaffirms our commitment to targeting significant growth opportunities in this top egg-buying export market. Our objective is to help our producers diversify their sales portfolios and increase access to safe, high-quality U.S. eggs and egg products as part of a larger strategic goal to double U.S. egg exports in the next five years,” said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board.

The trade mission marks another step in a strategic egg industry initiative focused on deliberate and accelerated international growth. While there is ample opportunity for shell eggs, the near-term focus is on the opportunity to increase exports of egg products. In partnership with USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) and United Egg Producers (UEP), the AEB is working to drive demand for egg products and build the industry’s trade capacity to facilitate the export of egg products. Egg products have the greatest upside potential for increased exports. This is a function of the versatility, functionality and transportability of egg products as opposed to shell eggs.

“America’s egg farmers have almost literally kept their eggs all in one basket—the U.S. domestic market. Through this determined focus on growing exports, the American Egg Board seeks to roughly double the average annual U.S. egg exports to 7% of total table egg production within the next five years,” said Metz. “Our focus on trade missions is an essential step in a larger global egg strategy that I believe is fundamental to the prosperity and stability of our U.S. egg producers and crucial to the industry’s future.”

Data indicate the export market for shell eggs and egg products is a significant and largely untapped growth opportunity. While the U.S. now exports more than 20% of its pork and 18% of its dairy, U.S. egg industry exports have been modest for the past decade, accounting for approx. 3.8% of total table egg production annually on average. The AEB and its producer leadership believe expanding exports will create a stronger, more sustainable and more resilient U.S. egg industry for the long term.

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About the American Egg Board (AEB) 

Home of the Incredible Egg, the AEB supports America’s egg farmers in its mission to increase demand for eggs and egg products through research, education, and promotion. The AEB is located in Chicago, Ill. For more, visit IncredibleEgg.org 

Editor’s Notes:

  • U.S. eggs are high-quality, safe and heavily regulated, offering a competitive advantage over eggs and egg products sourced in other parts of the world.
  • Multiple U.S. government agencies have oversight of U.S. egg production including the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Processed Egg and Egg Product Export Verification (PEEPEV).
  • U.S. egg production follows strict state and federal government food safety regulations:
    • Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) of 1970
    • FDA Egg Safety Rule enacted in 2010 – one of the most stringent foodborne illness prevention measures in the world
    • State egg quality assurance programs
    • National Poultry Improvement Program – a cooperative state-federal poultry health testing and certification program
  • All U.S. egg products are pasteurized per USDA mandate to eliminate foodborne illnesses, such as Salmonella, and provide:
    • Assurance of a safe product (heat pasteurized to destroy Salmonella and other bacteria).
    • A reduced risk of contamination or adulteration