September pork export volume was steady with both the August and year-ago levels, while beef exports edged higher in volume and jumped substantially in value, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Greg Hanes, USMEF’s assistant vice president for international marketing and programs, was elected chairman of the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council (USAEDC) this week at the organization’s annual workshop in Baltimore, Maryland.

USMEF recently noted that U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was in China to promote the return of U.S. beef. Following this media reception in Beijing, Perdue participated in a U.S. beef retail launch promotion at a City Super supermarket in Shanghai. Funded through support from the Nebraska Beef Council, the promotional event featured USDA Foreign Agricultural Service representatives, Nebraska Department Agriculture Director Greg Ibach, U.S. beef exporters and USMEF-China staff.

Demonstrating U.S. beef’s continued interest in the European retail sector, USMEF partnered with Giraudi, one of the region’s largest importers and distributors, to promote U.S. beef at the TuttoFood show in Milan, Italy. Funded by the Beef Checkoff Program, USMEF’s efforts included sharing product information and fielding inquiries from professionals in Europe’s food and beverage industry.