U.S. ag/food exports to China-2012 

Full year trade data for 2012 was released just prior to the holiday and the following points for U.S. ag/food exports to China are drawn from this data. Please see the facts & figure on left column, which is a useful snapshot of key ag/food product exports.  Note that the highlighted items achieved a record level of sales to China during the calendar year.   

·         In 2012, China was the largest export destination for American agricultural and food products with $26.0 billion in sales, a nearly 38 percent increase compared to 2011.  This represents the seventh consecutive year in which U.S. agricultural exports to China reached a new high.  U.S. agricultural exports to China have more than doubled in the past four years.

·         This year, approximately 18 percent of global U.S. agricultural and food exports come to China, and agriculture accounts for more than 20 percent of all U.S. exports to this market.  Forest and fish products, both supported by USDA market development programs, add another $2.7 billion to the U.S. export figure.  China’s exports of agricultural products to the United States are also at a record-setting level ($4.5 billion). 

·         U.S. agricultural exports to China range from bulk commodities, like soybeans, cotton and corn, that are essential inputs into China’s own food, feed, and textile sectors to high-value consumer products like pork, tree nuts, dairy products, and wine.  American agricultural and food exports to China not only support tens of thousands of U.S. jobs, they also help China meet its own food security needs, mitigate food price inflation, and create strong business partnerships between China and the United States.

(Scott S. Sindelar| Minister Counselor for Agricultural Affairs | U.S. Department of Agriculture  | American Embassy Beijing )