U.S. Export Competitiveness in Select Crop Markets

The United States has historically been one of the largest exporters of agricultural crops in terms of volume and value. In recent decades, increased competition from countries, such as Argentina and Brazil, have threatened the current U.S. standing in the global arena. The purpose of this study is to examine export competitiveness—in terms of value—of the top five crop commodity groups exported: corn, soybean products, cotton, wheat products, and tree nuts. These commodities are widely produced in the United States and, in 2021, represented 38 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports. The first section of the report broadly discusses U.S. competitiveness, current trade agreements, and world events that impacted global markets. The report notes that not having signed new free trade agreements (FTA) from mid-2012 to 2020 has limited the U.S. presence in emerging economies such as those in Africa. The second section focuses on a commodity-specific analysis using export shares and trade indices for each of the five crop groups. Using data from the Trade Data Monitor (TDM) and the Production, Supply and Distribution (PSD) database of USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), this report identifies major competitors and trends in U.S. exports over the last 20 years. Within each commodity section, there is a detailed overview of the U.S. export position, a list of the top five competitors in that commodity, export-to-production ratios over time, and a history of significant changes within each market, such as the entry of a new competitor or reductions in exports to a particular country.