U.S. ag exports harvest $140.5 billion in 2017

U.S. agricultural exports for fiscal year 2017 reached $140.5 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which attributed some of this success to expanded foreign market access and trade promotion activities.    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) registered the country’s third largest record for American agricultural goods exports, with a value of $140.5 billion for fiscal year 2017, the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) said in a statement.
   The FAS attributed some of this continued growth to reducing overseas trade barriers and increasing promotion for U.S. agricultural goods.
   “FAS staff around the globe have worked tirelessly with their counterparts across the U.S. Department of Agriculture, finding, opening and expanding markets for the high-quality food, fuel, feed, and fiber that our farmers and ranchers produce,” said Holly Higgins, FAS acting administrator. “We’ve done so by focusing on what we call our ‘three pillars’ – trade policy, trade promotion, and trade capacity building and food security.”
   In the trade policy arena, Higgins cited expanded market access for U.S. agricultural goods, such as beef and rice to China, poultry and eggs to South Korea, rice to Colombia, chipping potatoes to Japan, distillers dried grains to Vietnam and China, and new biotech corn and soybean varieties to China.
   She also noted that FAS staff worldwide were instrumental in securing the release of “hundreds of shipments” detained at foreign ports for myriad reasons. These U.S. agricultural shipments were valued at more than $27 million, and ranged from poultry in Turkey, almonds in Spain and cheese in Chile to crabs in China and eggs in Japan.
   To expand U.S. agriculture trade in markets, FAS during 2017 organized trade missions to Egypt, Brazil and India. These missions generated more than $30 million in projected 12-month sales for participating U.S. companies, the agency said.
   In addition, FAS brought together about 1,000 U.S. agricultural companies and organizations at 20 trade shows across 14 countries, which it said resulted in reported on-site sales of about $300 million and 12-month projected sales of about $2.35 billion.
   In terms of U.S. food aid programs, FAS provided more than 277,000 tons of U.S. agricultural commodities to help meet nutritional needs and support agricultural development and education for an estimated 4.8 million people in 25 developing countries.
   “With 2018 on the horizon, FAS staff members in Washington and 93 worldwide offices are redoubling their commitment to opening and expanding export markets and breaking down trade barriers for U.S. farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses,” Higgins said.