Logistical challenges continue to limit the ceiling of U.S. red meat exports, despite those exports reaching record levels in 2021. U.S. Meat Export Federation Economist Erin Borror says some shipping containers have been returned empty. “Supply chains were overwhelmed. Asian exporters are paying premium shipping rates, sometimes 10 times what the rate is from the U.S. to Asia. The shipping rate disparity incentivized sending back those empty container to the States from Asia. With this, export containers are denied shipping space, and those containers go back to Asia empty. This has resulted in shipment delays where cargo is delayed weeks or even months waiting for shipment space.” Borror notes that chilled export products have suffered the most from supply chain issues.