1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov April 25, 2017Farm Bill Primer: Trade and Export Promotion ProgramsAgricultural exports are important to both farmers and the U.S. economy. With the productivity of U.S. agriculture growing faster than domestic demand, farmers and agriculturally oriented firms rely he
2、avily on export markets to sustain prices and revenue. Accordingly, the 2014 farm bill (Agricultural Act of 2014, P.L. 113-79) authorizes a number of programs to promote farm exports. Agricultural exports have exceeded agricultural imports in every year since the 1960s. The value of agricultural exp
3、orts exceeded imports by a wide margin during the 2008-2014 time frame, peaking at $43 billion in 2014. Since then the margin of exports over imports has narrowed sharply (Figure 1). For 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that the U.S. agricultural trade surplus declined to $17
4、billion. Figure 1. Value of U.S. Agricultural Trade Source: CRS from USDA data. Bulk commoditieswheat, rice, coarse grains, oilseeds, cotton, and tobaccoare the leading U.S. agricultural exports. USDA reports that exports of consumer-oriented productssuch as dairy products, meats, poultry, live anim
