US cheese production tops 14.1 billion pounds

US cheese production during 2023 hit a record 14.1 billion pounds, which is up 0.3%, or 43.5 million pounds, from the year before, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. US cheese has now reached a high for the past 32 years, according to the Cheese Reporter.

In 2023, cheese production improved over the prior year for seven months. That being said, cheese exports for the country declined by 3% in 2023, with overall exports of dairy products dropping by 16%, the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service reported. The FAS also reported that cheese imports into the US increased by 2%, to more than $4 billion in value. Ireland and New Zealand were the primary exporters and other countries seeing gains were Mexico, which increased its exports by 10% to $291.1 million, and the UK, which saw a 44% rise to $172.2 million. Canada also saw a sharp gain of 25% to $383 million in exports.