Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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447. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the volume and value of exports of beef, lamb, pig meat and dairy to the USA in each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29925/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The United States has proved to be an important market for Irish pork and dairy in the past decade and exports of beef have developed well since Ireland became the first EU Member State to get market access for beef in January 2015.

The exports of beef, lamb, pigmeat and dairy to the USA in each of the years 2014 to 2016 and 2017 to date is shown in the following table, based on a combination of CSO and USDA data. No EU Member State has access for sheepmeat and so no exports of lamb have taken place.  Regarding dairy exports, it should be noted that following strong growth between 2014 and 2016, the value of Irish dairy product exports to the United States increased by 26% in the first three months of 2017 versus the same period in 2016.

The volume and value of product exported to any particular market is affected by many factors such as currency fluctuations, global supply and demand dynamics, competition from other exporters, available quota and tariffs. The returns available on other markets is another crucial factor as exporters will decide not to export to a particular market if a better return is available elsewhere.