The value of U.S. pork exports in 2015 dropped 16 percent compared to 2014. The U.S. Meat Export Federation says export value fell some $468 million to total $5.58 billion in 2015. Volume levels for pork exports fell two percent to 2.13 million metric tons. However, the data may be skewed by imports to Japan. USMEF noted that in 2014, some exports for Japan were miscoded as large intestines, and the data has not yet been corrected. Excluding Japan, 2015 pork variety meat exports were down eight percent year-over-year. U.S. exports to Japan struggled in 2015, declining 13 percent to the lowest level since 2009. However, USMEF notes a recent decline in Japan’s frozen inventories indicates opportunities for import growth in 2016 while the U.S. continues to face increasing competition in Japan, especially from European suppliers.