Paraguay increases beef exports to the US amid rising demand

Paraguay continues to increase beef exports to the United States, which has become one of the largest buyers of Paraguayan meat since opening its market in late 2023. Growing demand from US importers is creating additional opportunities for the country’s meat industry. Paraguayan President Santiago Peña told Bloomberg that the United States is showing increasing interest in Paraguayan beef amid high domestic prices, while Paraguay aims to strengthen its position in the market.

According to Paraguay’s National Animal Health and Quality Service (Senacsa), the country exported just 75 tons of beef to the United States in 2023. Shipments increased to 28 thsd tons in 2024 and reached 49.46 thsd tons in 2025. Thus, within two years, the US market became one of the main destinations for Paraguayan meat exports, ranking second only to Chile in terms of purchase volumes.

In January–August 2026, Paraguay exported 35.44 thsd tons of meat products to the United States worth $211 mln. Earlier this year, representatives of the meat processing industry projected that shipments could reach 75 thsd tons by the end of 2026. Meanwhile, Senacsa head José Carlos Martin outlined a more conservative target of increasing exports by approximately 20% compared with 2025. However, the number of cattle being slaughtered has declined this year, potentially limiting further growth in export volumes.

One of the main challenges for Paraguayan exporters remains access conditions to the US market. Unlike Argentina, Paraguay does not have its own tariff-rate quota for beef exports to the United States. Instead, the country uses a shared quota of approximately 64 thsd tons under the “other countries” category, which also includes Brazil. Once this quota is filled, imports can continue, but shipments become subject to an out-of-quota duty of 26.4%. Paraguayan authorities are therefore interested in securing more favorable trade conditions.

Additional opportunities for exporters have emerged following a US decision to temporarily increase the import quota for lean beef used in ground beef production by 300 thsd tons during September–November 2026. The additional volume is divided into three monthly allocations of 100 thsd tons among countries in the relevant tariff category, including Paraguay and Brazil. This allows suppliers to benefit from lower import duties, although it also increases competition between them. Further growth in Paraguayan beef exports will depend on US demand, tariff conditions and the ability of domestic processors to supply sufficient volumes.

Tags: Beef cattle, USA, Paraguay