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February 2004
Agricultural
trade is critical for U.S. agriculture
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| Meeting these increased food demands will be both an enormous challenge and an opportunity for the world’s agricultural producers, and American farmers will play a critical role. The world’s cropland, only 11 percent of total land area, is unevenly distributed. With a rich endowment of fertile land and a temperate climate, American farmers consistently produce more grains and oilseeds than the U.S. market can consume. The United States, however, is also well-equipped—with its land, technology, capital, and large-scale food processing—to provide meats, processed foods, fruits, vegetables, and vegetable oils to the rest of the world. In the last decade, 18 of the 20 fastest growing U.S. agricultural exports were high-value products, such as pork, grapes, and almonds. Trade policy reform has been very important in creating new markets, and continued export growth will depend on the degree to which markets in the developing countries are further opened to consumer-oriented, high-value products. |
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Agricultural exports now account for about one-fourth of cash receipts on U.S. farms. Without access to growing markets, particularly those in developing countries, the highly productive U.S. farm sector will have to accept reduced profitability and lower rates of return. And without access to U.S. products, consumers in developing countries will pay higher prices and have fewer choices. The United States itself offers an example of the benefits of importing agricultural products: The quick growth in U.S. agricultural imports in recent years has added such products as out-of-season fresh fruits and vegetables and many processed foods and beverages to consumers’ choices in the marketplace. |
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Seizing the Opportunities from Trade |
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Inefficient agricultural policies, all over the globe |
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Policy reform works |
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Reform can't wait |
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For more information |
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From the Foreign Agricultural Service: |
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U.S. Agricultural Trade |
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Trade Policy |
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Trade Agreements |
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Trade News and Data |
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Trade Trends |
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Start Trading |
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From the Economic Research Service: |
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The U.S. Ag Trade Balance. . . More Than Just A Number |
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U.S. Food Sector Linked to Global Consumers |
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Structure of the Global Markets for Meat |
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North American Agricultural Market Integration and Its Impact on the Food and Fiber System |
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