Browse Data and Analysis

Bite size local news, Post reports and activity summaries wrapped by ATO Hong Kong.

Major bulk commodities, as a share of total U.S. agricultural exports, have risen and fallen dramatically since 2020. Beyond short-term price volatilities that have largely driven these developments, changes to the largest overseas market and an increasingly competitive landscape also affect the prospect for major U.S. bulk exports.

China’s beverage market surpassed $170 billion in 2024, reflecting a year-on-year growth rate of over six percent. The category includes non-alcoholic beverages, ranging from bottled water, juices, and carbonated drinks to tea and functional beverages.

On May 1, 2025, China released amended regulations governing the protection of new plant varieties. The amendments enhance the protection of new plant varieties, establish an essentially derived varieties system, extend the protection periods, shorten preliminary examination time, and strengthen the management of foreign variety rights applications.

In 2024, Taiwan was the eighth-largest market for U.S. agricultural exports, valued at $3.8 billion, 16 percent greater than 5 years ago. The top five U.S. agricultural exports to Taiwan are beef and beef products, soybeans, corn, wheat, and fresh fruits.

Thai rice export prices are trending up, with the premium grades, such as Hom Mali rice, showing the most significant increase.

The 2024 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world during the 2024 calendar year.

This report provides an overview of Hong Kong’s agricultural imports and re-exports.

In March 2025, ATO Tokyo organized a USA Pavilion at FOODEX Japan, one of the largest international trade-only food shows in Asia that provides a strong venue for U.S. food companies to find importers and increase distribution in Japan and other Asian markets.

In March 2025, the Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) in Shanghai hosted a USA Pavilion at Food Ingredients China (FIC), a USDA-endorsed trade show.

Thailand’s Department of Fisheries (DOF) has established procedures to certify aquatic animals developed through genome editing technology for domestic research and development, production, and/or distribution.

South Korea’s whiskey imports experienced a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.1% in value from 2020 to 2024, totaling $249 million.