Despite the challenging environment posed by China’s reduced appetite, other markets showed resilience. Notably, overall sales to Canada experienced a six percent increase, a boost linked to favorable U.S. prices. Furthermore, U.S. cheese exports set a new record volume, demonstrating strong performance in this key product category. These gains, however, were partially offset by a 12 percent decrease in shipments to Mexico, a vital trading partner for American dairy producers.

The article underscores the dramatic impact of China’s diminished presence. While total butterfat export sales are remarkably on a record pace for the year, with volumes soaring over 150 percent compared to the previous year, the broad decline in Chinese purchasing remains a dominant factor. Even with this positive butterfat trend and a more than 30 percent climb in exports to Mexico in May, the absence of robust Chinese demand casts a long shadow over the future of dairy exports.

Similarly, nonfat dry milk/skim milk powder exports saw a modest two percent increase for the month, illustrating some underlying strength despite the nearly 80 percent decline in demand from China for this specific product. Conversely, shipments of low-protein whey dropped a significant 25 percent, with China accounting for a staggering 70 percent of this decrease. This highlights how targeted shifts in Chinese import patterns can disproportionately affect specific dairy commodities.