Annually Uruguay produces around 3,200 tons of beef tongues, 70% of this production is exported and the rest is sold on the domestic market. These exports represent $ 9 million annually, so entry into the Japanese market was seen as excellent news by the authorities. The news was shared by the Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, Fernando Mattos, and by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francisco Bustillo, after the visit of an Uruguayan delegation to Japan.
The largest buyer in the world
Japan is the leading importer of bovine languages in the world and, according to a report published by INAC, “the most attractive buyer in terms of prices”, because that country “pays values that are more than double those of other major exporters”. While the Japanese market records values of $ 8,500 per ton, Hong Kong pays $ 2,400 per ton and Russia $ 3,500.
In 2021, Japan broke the record of $ 340 million imported. That country imports around 40,000 tons per yearand its main suppliers are the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
In terms of tariffs, “by default,” according to the report, bovine languages have a tariff of 12.8%, even though the United States pays 5.1% duty for a bilateral free trade agreement, the same paid from Australia and New Zealand, this to be members of the Global and Progressive Transpacific Partnership Treaty (CPPTP).
Although Uruguay has obtained sanitary clearance to export this product, it has no tariff preferences for doing so.
Until 2018, the main export destination of Uruguayan bovine languages was China, a market which accounted for 60% of Uruguayan shipments of this product. As of 2019, updates to that country’s health protocol prevented the product from continuing to enter that market, which had an impact, in part, on the drop in the average export price of the Uruguayan language, which fell 25% that year. Subsequently, Russia positioned itself as the most relevant market, accounting for 80% of Uruguayan beef tongue exports.
