The United States exported a record $177 billion worth of agricultural products last year. This is 18 percent more than in the pandemic year 2020, when international trade was hampered by major transportation issues. Moreover, it is 15% higher than the previous record year, 2014, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
China, Mexico, Canada, South Korea, the Philippines, and Colombia all imported more U.S. agricultural commodities than ever before, especially large quantities of soybeans, corn, beef, pork, dairy, and grains.
“This is a major boost for the economy as a whole, and particularly for our rural communities, since the export of agricultural products stimulates local economic activity, helps us maintain our global competitive edge, supports producers' profits, and provides more than 1.3 million jobs on farms and in related sectors such as food processing and transportation,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in a statement released Tuesday.
The huge global trade flow occurred despite ongoing supply chain bottlenecks throughout the past year. The transportation situation has become especially severe for the difficult container shipping from the U.S. West Coast to Asia.
Currently, there is so much demand for transport worldwide that shippers do not have their emptied containers in U.S. ports 'repositioned' to other U.S. ports to pick up (U.S. export) cargo, but instead send them immediately (empty) back to Asia.
China imported a record quantity of U.S. soybeans and other commodities last year, partly as a result of the mega-deal former President Trump made with the Chinese. China imported $33 billion worth of U.S. agricultural commodities, an increase of 25% compared to 2020.