Farm and Ranch Trade

Farm and Ranch Trade

Rick Worthington
Rick Worthington
May is World Trade Month, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) marks the occasion by highlighting USDA's success and continued commitment to expanding trade and increasing rural prosperity through agricultural exports.

USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue says the latest round of US-China trade talks is focused on tech and intellectual property rights issues.

Agricultural trade is critical for the U.S. farm sector and the American economy.

In 2017, U.S. exports of food and farm products totaled $138.4 billion. Additionally, farm exports supported more than 1.1 million American jobs across the entire economy.

With 95 percent of the world's consumers living outside the United States, USDA's work pursuing new and expanded trade is essential to removing barriers, helping America's farmers and ranchers reach new customers, and ensuring that U.S. products and producers are treated fairly.

USDA promotes trade in many ways. Through the Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA breaks down trade barriers, creates export opportunities, and enforces and improves existing trade agreements to benefit U.S. agriculture. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service supports trade by keeping U.S. agriculture industries free from pests and diseases. The USDA Office of the Chief Economist provides economic and policy analysis in support of U.S trade initiatives, and produces dependable global supply and demand estimates. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service protects the public's health by ensuring the safety of food exports and imports and helping establish international food standards that protect the health of consumers and ensure fair trade practices. These are just a few examples of how USDA works every day to promote global trade for U.S. agriculture.

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