Soybeans, corn and beef dominated among U.S. agri-food exports in 2022, according to data from the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Ahead of all, soybean exports were $34.392 billion (+26% year-over-year) and then followed by corn ($18.609 billion, no percentage change).
The third and fourth positions were occupied respectively by beef and beef products (11,683 million dollars, +11%) and dairy products (9,505 million, +25%).
Other products included in this classification are: cotton, nuts, wheat, pork and pork products, soybean meal, poultry meat and products, food preparations, bakery products, cereals and pasta, fresh fruit, ethanol, distillers grains, processed vegetables, and fresh vegetables.
Combined, U.S. exports of agricultural and food products to the world totaled $196 billion, exceeding the 2021 (and previous record) total by 11% ($19.5 billion).
Most of this increase was due to historically high prices, as the global volume of bulk agricultural commodity exports declined 6% year-over-year.
Soybeans, corn, beef and beef products, dairy products, cotton, and nuts accounted for more than half of the value of U.S. agricultural exports.
Agri-food exports
According to USDA, the value of exports of many products reached record levels, including soybeans, cotton, dairy products, meat and meat products, ethanol, poultry meat and poultry products, soybean meal, distilled spirits, and distillers grains.
Soybeans accounted for more than one-third of the annual increase in export value, up $7 billion.
At a record $34.4 billion, soybeans remained the leading U.S. agricultural export commodity.
China remained the top destination for soybeans, accounting for more than half of U.S. exports in 2022.
Mexico ranked second, up 39% compared to 2021.
Cotton exports represented the second largest year-over-year increase, up $3.3 billion to a record $9 billion.
Likewise, China remained the largest market for cotton, with U.S. exports more than doubling to a record $2.9 billion.
Most commodity exports increased for the year, with cotton, ethanol, soybeans, dairy products and wheat posting the largest year-over-year percentage increases in value.
In contrast, pork and fresh fruit declined in 2022: pork shipments to Japan and China declined, while fresh fruit exports were lower to most Asian trading partners.
