Exports of farm products help boost Alabama’s farm prices and income. Such exports help support about 6,020 jobs both on and off the farm in food processing, storage, and transportation. In 2003, Alabama's farm cash receipts were $3.4 billion, and agricultural exports were estimated at $381 million, putting its reliance on agricultural exports at 11 percent. Implementation of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) will increase Alabama’s exports of agricultural products.

Despite over $1.6 billion in U.S. farm exports in 2003, CAFTA-DR countries continue to impose high tariffs and other barriers on most agricultural products, including Alabama’s key exports. A primary U.S. objective was to change the "one-way-street" of duty-free access currently enjoyed by most CAFTA-DR exports into a "two-way-street" that provides U.S. suppliers with access to these markets and levels the playing field with other competitors. This objective was achieved. Over 50 agricultural industry and farm groups, including the American Farm Bureau support the FTA.

Poultry. With over $2 billion in total sales and the nation’s 4^th largest exporter, Alabama poultry producers and processors benefit from the FTA.

• Current import duties on U.S. beef exports are as high as 30 percent, and the WTO permits duties as high as 79 percent.  

• Duties on the products most important to the U.S. beef industry – Prime and Choice cuts – will be eliminated immediately in Central American countries, while the Dominican Republic will establish a zero duty TRQ of 1,100 metric tons which expands annually as duties are eliminated.  

• Some immediate duty-free access will be provided by certain countries on other beef cuts through an initial TRQ totaling 1,165 metric tons, expanding annually until duties are fully phased-out.

• Duties currently applied to other beef products and beef offals will be phased-out in 5 to 10 years.

• CAFTA-DR countries are working toward the recognition of the U.S. meat inspection and certification systems in order to facilitate U.S. exports. 

• The American Meat Institute, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Renderers Association, and the U.S. Meat Export Federation have expressed support publicly for the CAFTA-DR FTA.

• Peanut tariffs will be eliminated immediately in El Salvador, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, with duties in other countries eliminated in 5 to 15 years.  

• Peanut butter duties are eliminated immediately in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Honduras. Nicaragua and Guatemala will eliminate duties on this product over 10 years. 

• Except where current duty treatment under CBI grants duty-free access, the U.S. duties on peanuts and peanut butter will be phased out over a 15-year period. During the phase-out period, the United States will establish TRQ access totaling 10,500 metric tons for two countries – El Salvador and Nicaragua - growing by 5 percent per year, and a TRQ for Nicaragua for peanut butter of 280 metric tons, growing at 10 percent per year.