	U.S. Agricultural Exports, Imports, and Trade Balance

According to USDA, FY2012 agricultural exports are forecast to reach $131 billion, slightly below the fiscal 2011 record level of $137 billion. Cotton is the United States' most export-dependent field crop. Beef exports, which grew from around 4% of production in 1990 to almost 10% by 2003, have slowly recovered from export bans on U.S. beef following the 2003 discovery of a BSE-infected cow in the United States. In FY2011, high-value exports accounted for 56.3% of total U.S. agricultural exports and bulk exports for 43.6%. Agricultural Exports

Canada , with Mexico a U.S. partner in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), is the largest market for U.S. agricultural exports, with exports valued at $19 billion. Lingering effects of mad cow disease continue to affect demand for U.S. beef in world markets; the U.S. share of world beef exports had reached 18.9% in 2000. Dairy Products: For 2012, New Zealand (29.3%) and the EU (27.3%) are forecast to be the leading suppliers of nonfat dry milk to world markets (see Figure 15 and Table 15 ). Agricultural Imports

High-value horticultural products (fruits, nuts, vegetables, and preparations; wine and malt beverages; nursery stock and flowers; and others) are the largest category of U.S. agricultural imports, and are forecast to be $43.3 billion in FY2012. U.S. Agricultural Imports by Country of Origin

NAFTA partners Canada ($20.7 billion) and Mexico ($17.3 billion) and the EU-27 ($16.8 billion) are forecast to be the source of more than 50% of total U.S. agricultural imports ($106.5 billion) in FY2012. Indonesia is expected to ship $4.7 billion of farm products to the United States in FY2012; agricultural imports from Brazil are expected to reach $4.4 billion in FY2012. Agricultural exports to Latin America, including Mexico, and to Canada have grown rapidly since the early 1990s, due in part to geographic proximity and NAFTA, among other factors. Agricultural Exports to Asian Markets

Like the EU, Japan also has been a relatively stable and slow-growing market for U.S. agricultural exports. U.S. By one widely used measure, the producer support estimate (PSE) calculated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United States provided an estimated $25.6 billion in agricultural support to producers in 2010 (provisional estimate). As a percent of gross farm receipts, the PSE for the United States is 7% in 2010, the third-lowest among OECD countries ( Figure 24 , Table 24 ). Trade Measures

With agricultural exports totaling $137 billion in FY2011, the United States is the world's largest exporter of agricultural products. The United States applies tariffs and tariff quotas to products entering the United States from abroad. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United States' average applied tariff for agricultural products is 8.9%, which is above the average applied U.S. tariff for non-agricultural products (4%), but relatively low compared to other WTO member countries. Food Aid

The United States is the world's leading supplier of food aid. It provides more than half of the global total. Wheat and wheat flour are the main commodities provided as food aid, but rice and vegetable oils are also important in P.L.
U.S. agricultural exports, imports, and the agricultural trade surplus are expected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reach record levels in FY2011. FY2011 U.S. farm exports are forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reach $137 billion, while agricultural imports are expected to reach $93 billion. The agricultural trade surplus is projected to be $44 billion. Exports of high-value products (e.g., fruits, vegetables, meats, wine and beer) have increased since the early 1990s and now account for 60% of total U.S. agricultural exports. Exports of bulk commodities (e.g., soybeans, wheat, and feed grains) remain significant.
Leading markets for U.S. agricultural exports are China, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the European Union (EU), South Korea, and Taiwan. The United States in 2011 is forecast to be the world's leading exporter of corn, wheat, soybeans, and cotton. The U.S. share of world beef exports, which declined after the 2003 discovery of a case of "mad cow disease" in the United States, is recovering as more countries have re-opened their markets to U.S. product. The United States, European Union, Australia, and New Zealand are dominant suppliers of dairy products in global agricultural trade. New Zealand and the United States are the main suppliers of nonfat dry milk to world markets, while the EU is the leading supplier of cheeses.
China has been among the fastest-growing markets for U.S. agricultural exports. Agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico, both partners of the United States in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), have also grown rapidly.
Most U.S. agricultural imports are high-value products, including fruits, nuts, vegetables, wine, and beer. The biggest import suppliers are NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico, and the EU. Together these three are forecast to provide more than 50% of total U.S. agricultural imports in FY2011. Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Colombia are also important suppliers of agricultural imports to the United States.
According to estimates by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United States provides the third-lowest amount of government policy-generated support to its agricultural sector among OECD countries. The United States' average applied tariff for agricultural products is estimated by the World Trade Organization to be 8.9%, a little more than twice the average applied tariff for non-agricultural products. Export subsidies, export credit guarantees, and market development programs are among the programs used by the United States to promote U.S. agricultural exports. The United States also provides U.S. agricultural commodities to developing countries as food aid for emergency relief or use in nonemergency development activities.