Why did the USDA lower its reported U.S. beef export sales for late June by 90%, and what was the original erroneous figure?

The USDA lowered its reported beef export sales for the week ending June 25 from an originally published 126,062 metric tons to 12,064 metric tons — a 90% reduction — because it had received and published incorrect data; the agency acknowledged it had mistakenly reported record sales (e.g., 38,434 tons to Chile and 32,274 tons to Italy) that were later revised down to just 367 and 350 tons respectively, after confirming the errors with exporters and conducting a data review.

What broader concerns about USDA data reliability does this incident reflect, according to the news article?

This incident reflects broader concerns about USDA data reliability stemming from significant staffing losses — including a 21% reduction in the Foreign Agricultural Service workforce in early 2023 — as well as prior credibility issues such as underestimating corn acreage, delaying quarterly trade reports, omitting tariff-related analysis from trade deficit forecasts, and a problematic 2022 rollout of a new export reporting system that caused three-week delays.

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USDA Lowers Beef Export Sales by 90% Amid Growing Data Doubts

Jul 9, 2026

The USDA cut reported beef export sales by 90% due to data errors and staffing losses, sparking trader skepticism about report accuracy while domestic beef prices hit record highs.

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