US Farm Exports Reached Record $196B in 2022

WASHINGTON — International sales of U.S. farm and food products reached $196 billion last year, shattering the previous export record set in 2021.

According to the Commerce Department, which released final 2022 trade data this week, U.S. agricultural exports increased 11% compared to a year earlier, or by about $19.5 billion.

“This second consecutive year of record-setting agricultural exports, coupled with a record $160.5 billion in net farm income in 2022, demonstrates the success of the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to create new and better markets for America’s agricultural producers and businesses,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a written statement.

“We’re strengthening relationships with our trading partners and holding those partners accountable for their commitments. We’re making historic investments in infrastructure to strengthen supply chains and prevent market disruptions. We’re knocking down trade barriers that hamper U.S. producers’ access to key markets,” he continued. 

“And we’re continuing to invest in export market development programs, partnering with industry to bring high-quality, cost-competitive U.S. products to consumers around the world.”

The latest statistics show that the value of sales increased in all of the United States’ top 10 agricultural export markets — China, Mexico, Canada, Japan, the European Union, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Colombia and Vietnam, with sales in seven of the 10 markets (China, Mexico, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines and Colombia) setting new records.

“Overall, there were 30 markets where U.S. exports exceeded $1 billion in 2022 — an increase from 27 markets in 2021 — demonstrating the broad global appeal of American-grown products,” Vilsack noted.

Vilsack said that while the U.S. will remain committed to serving these established customers, the administration is also setting its sights on new growth opportunities in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

The top commodities exported by the United States in 2022 were soybeans, corn, beef, dairy, cotton and tree nuts, which together comprised more than half of U.S. agricultural export value. 

International sales of many U.S. products — including soybeans, cotton, dairy, beef, ethanol, poultry, soybean meal, distilled spirits and distillers’ grains — reached record values, the Commerce Department said.

“At the end of the day, agricultural trade is all about opportunities — for America’s farmers and ranchers, for our rural communities, for the U.S. economy and for our global customers. We extend our gratitude to the Americans across the agricultural industry who create and support those opportunities by growing, processing, selling and shipping our farm and food products to the world,” Vilsack said.

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