USDA reports farm exports reach record high
Farm exports in fiscal year 2011 reached a record high of $137.4 billion, exceeding past highs by $22.5 billion, the Agriculture Department said today. The agriculture trade surplus for the fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, hit $42.7 billion.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a news release that farm exports supported 1.15 million jobs in the United States and that the new trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama are expected to add an additional $2.3 billion to the export total and support nearly 20,000 American jobs.
Vilsack also noted that China was the lead export market for farm products for the first time, buying almost $20 billion of goods such as soybeans, cotton, tree nuts and hides.
“There is no doubt that the Asia Pacific region recognizes the United States as a reliable supplier of the highest-quality food and agricultural products, and that’s the message I will take to our trading partners when I travel next week to Vietnam and China to help expand markets and remove barriers to trade for U.S. farm products,” Vilsack said.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a news release that farm exports supported 1.15 million jobs in the United States and that the new trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama are expected to add an additional $2.3 billion to the export total and support nearly 20,000 American jobs.
Vilsack also noted that China was the lead export market for farm products for the first time, buying almost $20 billion of goods such as soybeans, cotton, tree nuts and hides.
“There is no doubt that the Asia Pacific region recognizes the United States as a reliable supplier of the highest-quality food and agricultural products, and that’s the message I will take to our trading partners when I travel next week to Vietnam and China to help expand markets and remove barriers to trade for U.S. farm products,” Vilsack said.
