Paced by sustained strong demand from the Jap­an and Hong Kong markets and a rebound in Mexico, U.S. beef exports in September remained ahead of 2012 levels. Meanwhile, U.S. pork exports continue to face a number of challenges, in­­cluding access restrictions in Rus­sia and a lingering downturn in the Japan market, according to statistics released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Powered by a 37 percent jump in the volume of beef exports to Japan, 65 percent to Mexico and 102 percent to Hong Kong, U.S. beef exports rose nearly 5 percent in September and are up 1 percent for the year, the report said.

The value of those exports — up nearly 16 percent...