Exports of Brazilian beef surged in October, making it the best month for such trade in 2015. Hong Kong and Mainland China led the list of main importers, the Brazilian news agency Brasil reported this week.

According to the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association (Abiec) – quoted by the media outlet –,138,700 tonnes were shipped in October, up 14.7 percent from September. Brazilian beef exports last month were worth a total of US$557.3 million, a rise in value of 5.4 percent from the previous month.

The People’s Republic of China – which includes Macao and Hong Kong – was the biggest customer for the product in October.

That month Hong Kong imported more than 33,000 tonnes of Brazilian beef worth US$144 million, up by 80 percent from September, the news agency reported.

Mainland China imported 17,000 tonnes of the meat, worth US$83 million, the report said.

In the first ten months of this year, the total volume of Brazilian beef exports fell 11 percent year-on-year. Between January and October the value of Brazilian beef exports decreased by 18 percent year-on-year, to US$4.8 billion.