Cheese production in the US has grown this year by 2.7%. In volume terms the increase in cheese production equates to approximately 100,000 tonnes. During the first 9 months of 2014 US manufacturers produced 8.47 billion pounds of cheese or 3.84 million tonnes. This year an additional 100,000 tonnes of cheese has been made.
Source: USDA
US cheese exports are 60,000 tonnes higher this year to date (Jan-Sept). The US has been pushing more cheese into virtually all of its export markets this year with particularly South Korea and Japan which are its 2nd & 3rd largest markets behind Mexico. Cheese exports this year to date equate over 7% of all cheese manufactured. In 2013 cheese exports accounted for about 6% of the cheese produced in the US.
Latest data indicates stocks of cheese in the US are currently are down by 5% or 25,850 tonnes from a year ago. The increase in cheese manufacturing this year has partially been accounted for by an increase in export volumes. But this still leaves approximately 65,000 tonnes of additional cheese, that must have been consumed within the US. Overall the data points to a 1.8% increase in cheese consumption within the US this year to date.
