University of Missouri agricultural economist Ron Plain says U-S pork exports have been below the year-ago level for 11 of the last 13 months.
Plan's latest hog outlook reports U-S exports were down 4 point 3 per cent over the first seven months of this year from a year ago.
He puts July U-S pork imports up 7 and a half per cent from the same month in 2014.
Last week's U-S hog slaughter was 2 point 171 million head - down 2 point 7 per cent from the previous week, but over 22 per cent higher than the same week last year - a week which began with Labour Day.
Plain reports the U-S national negotiated barrow and gilt price Friday was $67.74 per hundredweight - down 3 dollars and 31 cents from the week before.