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Changes in 2019 from 2018
- U.S. total exports decreased by $4.3 billion (2.8 percent) to $150.5 billion
- U.S. imports increased by $3.3 billion (2.1 percent) to $159.9 billion
U.S. total exports of agricultural products fell by $4.3 billion (2.8 percent) to $150.5 billion from 2018 to 2019, falling below 2017 levels but still greater than in 2015 and 2016. U.S. total exports of agricultural products rose from 2015 to 2019 by $3.9 billion (2.6 percent) (table AG1). U.S. imports of agricultural products have been steadily increasing between 2015 and 2019 and grew by $3.3 billion (2.1 percent) to $159.9 billion from 2018 to 2019.
Canada and Mexico continue to be the top destination markets for U.S. domestic exports of agricultural products, accounting for a combined 28.8 percent of U.S. domestic exports (15.4 percent and 13.4 percent, respectively). Canada has been the top destination for U.S. domestic exports of agricultural products for the past five years, even while exports to Canada decreased by $144 million (0.6 percent) in 2019. Mexico increased to the second top destination market in 2018 and remained in that spot in 2019, when U.S. domestic exports to Mexico increased by $86.8 million (0.5 percent) to $19.3 billion.
China was the largest destination for U.S. domestic exports of agricultural products in 2016and fell to the fourth in 2018 before rising back to the third in 2019. U.S. domestic exports to China rose by $4.3 billion (41.7 percent) to $14.6 billion from 2018 to 2019, while U.S. domestic exports to China had a net decrease of $6.9 billion (32.1 percent) between 2015 and 2019.
The declines in U.S. domestic exports was primarily driven by cereals. Cereals (AG030) experienced the largest decrease in U.S. domestic exports from 2018 to 2019, decreasing by $4.1 billion (19.9 percent) to $16.5 billion. The agriculture product group with the second largest decline in U.S. domestic exports was animal feeds (AG013), which only fell by $706.9 million (15.2 percent) to $12.9 billion. Despite the overall declines in U.S. domestic exports of agricultural products, some product groups experienced increases. In particular, U.S domestic exports of oilseeds (AG032) saw the largest increase in U.S. domestic exports in 2019, increasing by $1.6 billion (8.9 percent) to reach $18.9 billion in 2019.
Mexico and Canada continue to be the top sources of U.S. imports of agricultural products. In 2019, Mexico accounted for 19.4 percent of U.S. imports, while Canada accounted for 17.3 percent, for a combined 36.8 percent of U.S. imports in 2019. U.S. imports from Mexico increased by $2.8 billion (9.8 percent) to $31.1 billion in 2019, the highest level in the last five years, while U.S. imports from Canada increased by $820 million (3.1 percent) to $27.7 billion in 2019.
From 2015 to 2018, China was the third largest source of U.S. imports of agricultural products. In 2019, China fell to the fifth largest source of U.S. imports of agricultural products, being surpassed in rank by France and Italy. U.S. imports from China decreased by $2.2 billion (28.4 percent) to $14.6 billion from 2018 to 2019, its lowest level in the past five years.
Increases in U.S. general imports of agricultural products were led by increases in imports of distilled spirits (AG042), and infant formulas, malt extracts, and other edible preparations (AG036). U.S. imports of distilled spirits increased by $808 million from 2018 to 2019 (9.4 percent) to $9.4 billion. The increase in distilled spirits was driven by U.S. imports from Mexico and France with an increase of $325 million (20.9 percent) and $224 million (9.0 percent) respectively. U.S. imports of infant formulas, malt extracts, and other edible preparations increased by $739 million (12.3 percent) from 2018 to 2019 to $6.8 billion.