Propelled by strong demand from China, Mexico and other countries, U.S. pork exports posted records for volume and value in 2019, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) said last week.

With a surge late in the year, 2019 pork exports were 10% higher in volume at 2.67 million metric tons and up 9% in value at $6.95 billion. For the year, exports accounted for 27% of total U.S. pork production, and the per-head value of exports was $53.51.

“Despite retaliatory...