International trade was an economic driver for rural America in 2017. U.S. farm and food exports totaled $140.5 billion for the fiscal year, which is the third-highest number on record. USDA Foreign Ag Service Acting Administrator Holly Higgins says she is proud of the role her agency plays in promoting exports. “Those exports generate 20 percent of U.S. farm income, stimulate rural economic activity, and support more than a million American jobs, she stated. Her agency’s efforts to break barriers and overcome trade obstacles led to many trade successes in 2017, including American beef and rice exports heading to China.
Other new or expanded market access for American farm products include poultry and eggs going to South Korea, rice to Columbia, and dried distiller’s grain to Vietnam. FAS is also helping agribusinesses to expand their reach around the globe. The agency organized trade missions to Egypt, Brazil, and India this year. Those missions led to more than $30 million in 12-month projected sales estimates of more than $2.35 billion for participating companies.
Source: NAFB News Service