U.S. beef exports shattered the previous value record and achieved a new high for volume last year, according to year-end 2018 statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Meanwhile, despite significant trade headwinds, pork export volume came up just short of the record set in 2017, while value slipped 1 percent year-over-year.

Fueled by tremendous demand in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and other southeast Asia countries, U.S. beef exports reached 1.35 million...