Abstract

Fiscal 2001 U.S. agricultural exports rose $2 billion from fiscal 2000, despite the general

economic slump. By State, performance was mixed for the various commodities, with

some rising and others falling from 2000. Soybeans and products continued to be the

largest export commodity group, accounting for $6.8 billion of the total $52.7 billion

exported. Feed grains and products and live animals and meat follow as the next largest

export commodity groups. California was by far the largest State exporter with exports

of $8.7 billion. And, North Carolina rose into the top 10 exporting States, just barely

displacing Arkansas.

Keywords: U.S. exports by State, commodity groups, fiscal years, value.

Fiscal 2001 U.S. Agricultural

Exports Rose, but Exports by

State Showed Both Gains and

Losses from 2000

Carol Whitton

FAU-66-02

Revised

August 2002

U .S . Ag ricultural E xports by C om m od ity G roup

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

F is ca l ye a rs

B illio n d o lla rs

O ther

C otton

F ruits & n uts

A n im a l

products

O ilsee ds &

prod.

F o od g rains

F e ed g rains &

fodder
2 Economic Research Service, USDA

Soybeans and products remained the largest export

group, as prices of soybeans began to recover

somewhat from the previous years’ low levels.

Soybean exports rose $170 million to $6.8 billion.

Exports of feed grains and products recovered from

the lower levels of 2000 to be the second largest

export commodity group at $6.3 billion, despite the

fact that overall feed grain and product exports

declined almost $100 million compared with 2000.

Exports of live animals and meat ranked third among

commodity groups at $6.1 billion, but declined $120

million from 2000’s high level. Vegetable and fruit

exports increased, ranking fourth and fifth. Fruit

exports rose above wheat and products, which

declined sharply by $170 million in 2001 compared

with 2000. Hides and skins showed the largest gains,

rising $514 million, as global demand increased

compared with the depressed pace of 2000. Feed and

fodder exports also responded to improving global

demand and increased by nearly $400 million.

Poultry and products exports were up by $286

million, as Russia and Asia continued to import. And,

cotton exports rose $265 million, as prices improved

and the United States harvested a larger crop.

With $1.4 billion in agricultural exports in 2001,

North Carolina entered the top 10 ranked export

States, rising from number 14 in 2000 to number 10

in 2001 and displacing Arkansas which slipped to

11th rank, just barely under North Carolina.

The other nine States in the top 10 remained

unchanged from 2000. However, four of the six

largest exporting States showed decreased exports in

2001 compared with 2000-- Texas, Iowa, Kansas, and

Nebraska. Of the top six States, exports from

California and Illinois rose in 2001. California

remained the largest exporting State and boosted 2001

exports more than $700 million, or 9 percent, to $8.7

billion. Texas was the second ranked State at $3.2

billion. Iowa slipped to third ranked with exports of

$3.3 billion and was followed by Illinois, Kansas, and

Nebraska in slightly different order from 2000.

Kansas rose to fourth rank and Illinois to fifth. In

addition to gains in California and Illinois, all of the

States ranked 7-10 also saw agricultural exports

increase in 2001. These included Minnesota,

Washington, Indiana, and North Carolina.

In 2001, these top 10 agricultural exporting States

accounted for 60 percent of total U.S. agricultural

export value, the same as in fiscal 2000. Three more

of the top 20 exporting States exported more than $1

billion in agricultural products in 2001, raising the top

20 exporting States to an 82 percent share of total

U.S. agricultural exports, slightly more than their 81

percent share in 2000.

In addition to having the largest agricultural exports

of any U.S. State, California’s 2001 exports also

increased the most, up $717 million over 2000. Much

of the gain was in tree nuts, for which U.S. production

rose 15 percent in 2001. California accounted for 92

percent of U.S. tree nut production in 2001. The

State’s exports of fruit and cotton also rose about $80

million each in 2001, with cotton exports showing a

large percentage gain, up more than 19 percent yearto-year. California accounted for 52 percent of all

U.S. fruit exports and 19 percent of all U.S. cotton

exported in 2001. It led all States in export of fruits

and tree nuts in 2001; but Texas was the leading

cotton exporting State, with just slightly greater

exports of cotton than California, which ranks second.

California also led all States in exports of vegetables,

with $2.1 billion, accounting for 46 percent of all U.S.

exports for the year.

Texas rose to second rank as a State exporter in 2001,

despite $75 million less in exports for the year. Texas

remains the largest State exporter for cotton and

cottonseed, exporting $465 million of cotton and $22

million of cottonseed in 2001. Texas’ gains in hides

and skins, feeds and fodders, and poultry exports in

2001 were offset by losses in wheat, cotton, and live

animals and meat. While Texas accounted for 22

percent of all U.S. cotton exports, it is also a large

exporter of feeds and fodders and live animals and

meat in which it accounts for 16 and 12 percent of

U.S. exports, respectively. It also remains the number

two peanut exporting State after Georgia.

With a $68-million decline in U.S. agricultural

exports in 2001, Iowa dropped to the third largest

exporting State. Iowa leads U.S. exports of soybeans

and feed grains, the two largest U.S. export product

groups. Iowa’s overall exports dropped because its

exports of soybeans and feed grains declined in 2001.

Nevertheless, the State continued to account for 17

percent of all U.S. soybean exports and 15 percent of

U.S. feed grain exports, the largest of any State.

Kansas, the next largest exporting State, tied as the

leading U.S. wheat exporter in 2001 with North

State Export Performance Mixed in 2001
3 Economic Research Service, USDA

Dakota. North Dakota shipped an estimated $620

million of wheat and product exports compared with

Kansas’ $619 million. Kansas was the leading export

State for feeds and fodders and for hides and skins,

accounting for 21 percent of feed and fodder exports

and 20 percent of hide and skin exports. Kansas

ranked second in exports of live animals and meat,

with 14 percent of U.S. exports of this commodity.

Illinois, the fifth largest exporting State, shipped

nearly $3.1 billion worth of agricultural goods in

2001, a gain of $180 million over 2000. Illinois’

main products are soybeans and feed. The State ranks

second to Iowa in export of each of these

commodities and, like Iowa, accounted for 17 percent

of U.S. soybean and 15 percent of feed grain exports

in 2001.

Nebraska dropped back to sixth ranked U.S.

agricultural exporter with $2.9 billion in 2001

exports, a slight decline from 2000. Nebraska led

other States in exports of live animals and meat,

ranked second in exports of hides and skins, and third

in exports of feeds and fodders, and feed grains and

products.

Other States among the top 10, such as Minnesota,

while not leading exporters of particular commodities,

ranked high for some commodities. For example,

Minnesota is an important exporter of soybeans and

products and feed grains and products, as well as

dairy products. Washington State ranks second to

California in exports of both vegetables and fruits.

And, Indiana’s most important export is also soybeans

and products.

Rising into the top 10 exporting States, North

Carolina, as usual, led in exports of tobacco. North

Carolina’s largest export gains, however, came from

cotton, poultry and products, and live animals and

meat. The State also is an important exporter of

peanuts.

Georgia led State exports of poultry and products and

of peanuts. Other important poultry exporters include

Arkansas and Alabama. Texas and Alabama also are

significant peanut exporters. North Dakota again led

States in exports of sunflowerseeds and products, as

well as wheat. South Dakota’s most important export

also is sunflowerseeds and products. Arkansas

continued to lead rice exports. Other important rice

exporting States include California, Louisiana, and

Texas. And, Wisconsin led exports of dairy products,

followed closely by California.
4 Economic Research Service, USDA

The Economic Research Service (ERS) estimates

State exports based on a State’s share of production of

the exported commodity. The estimated export value

for each State should not be interpreted as an actual

measurement of a State’s export. ERS uses the

Bureau of Census merchandise export data, which are

reported on a free-alongside-ship (f.a.s.) basis. The

Census export data are reported by customs district,

which can vary in size from a single port to several

States. Frequently, no State is reported in this data

set, and when States are reported it is the State from

which the commodity began its export journey, not

necessarily the State in which the commodity was

produced. Agricultural commodities often originate

in inland

States rather than port states. An agricultural

commodity is likely to pass through several States

before being exported, and the State of origin often is

lost as commodities move from farmgate to port.

Further, each commodity shipment may be mixed

with other lots of the same commodity in the shipping

or storage process or at the port.

ERS’ export estimates are based on the National

Agricultural Statistics Services’ (NASS) crop and

livestock production and slaughter estimates. The

State’s share of production of the exported

commodity is simply applied to the export figure to

derive the export value. However, for some products

considered U.S. agricultural exports, NASS does not

provide production statistics. These include products

such as, pasta, blended foods, or pet feed. For these

products, supplemental data from the Census of

Agriculture, 1997 and the Department of Commerce’s

estimates for Exports from Manufacturing

Establishments: 1990 and 1991 have been used to

refine export estimates. Data for earlier years are

revised to reflect production data revisions.

Estimates of U.S. State exports also are made by other

organizations—Census, Mitre, etc. Their estimates

are based primarily on the Customs data reported at

the port and compiled by the Census Bureau.

Consequently, compared with ERS’ estimates, those

estimates tend to inflate the relative exports of port

States and undercount those of inland States, where

many agricultural commodities originate.

Contact Information

Carol Whitton 202-694-5287 cwhitton@ers.usda.gov

Trade Information

Monthly and year-to-date U.S. agricultural trade (FATUS and HTS) data are on the Foreign Agriculture Service’s web

site http://www.fas.usda.gov/ustrade/. Click on FATUS imports or FATUS exports. Select commodity and country.

On right, choose ending year. Click dropdown boxes for other options—format, quantity, or value, etc. Submit.

Frequently asked questions and answers and summary FATUS data tables, including State export data, are at

http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/fatus.

For articles and general information about agricultural trade see http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/agtrade.

Subscription Information

Subscribe to ERS' e-mail notification service at http://www.ers.usda.gov/updates/ to receive timely notification of

newsletter availability. Printed copies can be purchased from the USDA Order Desk by calling 1-800-999-6779.

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apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille,

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Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity

provider and employer.

Methodology
5 Economic Research Service, USDA

 Table 1--U.S. agricultural exports, by leading States: Estimated value by commodity group, FY 2001

Commodity group United Leading 10 States, by value

States 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Million dollars

CA TX IA KS IL NE MN WA IN NC

Total 52,734.9 8,698.4 3,332.9 3,259.1 3,099.3 3,056.5 2,914.6 2,299.4 1,937.5 1,546.0 1,389.0

IA IL MN IN OH MO NE SD AR MI

Soybeans and products 6,818.6 1,148.7 1,136.8 724.8 623.3 461.1 432.7 429.8 378.2 198.6 180.7

IA IL NE MN KS IN TX OH MO SD

Feed grains and products 6,336.9 970.2 945.7 612.2 552.0 465.6 454.4 310.4 273.4 253.0 251.0

NE KS TX IA KY CO IL MN WI CA

Live animals and meat 6,070.2 893.5 822.2 721.0 542.3 298.0 284.7 260.0 210.6 194.6 186.5

CA WA ID WI MN OR FL MI ND NY

Vegetables and preparations 4,513.5 2,071.6 461.4 257.1 220.5 176.6 161.6 146.6 127.9 111.4 92.5

CA WA FL OR MI NY HI TX AZ ME

Fruit and preparations 3,501.6 1,819.1 592.8 527.5 101.1 79.3 64.4 56.0 41.1 31.5 24.4

ND KS MT OK WA SD MN ID CO TX

Wheat and products 1/ 3,453.4 619.9 618.5 241.3 226.7 224.1 184.9 175.5 147.2 113.0 106.1

KS TX NE IA MN MO IL CO WI ND

Feeds and fodders 2,741.4 569.9 447.0 254.4 145.6 113.9 85.8 82.5 81.8 73.2 73.2

GA AR AL NC MS TX VA DE MD SC

Poultry and products 2,521.5 308.8 307.0 256.3 241.5 179.4 137.7 85.8 69.4 66.7 64.7

TX CA MS GA NC AR LA AZ TN AL

Cotton and linters 2,094.3 464.7 405.4 195.9 190.4 163.6 163.1 104.3 93.7 81.3 62.2

KS NE TX CO WI UT IL CA PA MN

Hides and skins 1,942.7 390.0 379.8 304.6 139.6 124.5 61.6 55.9 54.7 54.4 53.1

NC KY TN SC GA CT VA PA OH FL

Tobacco, unmanufactured 1,181.0 433.1 285.2 99.5 86.6 73.6 65.1 60.8 17.6 14.1 12.5

CA OR GA HI NM TX LA AL AZ MS

Tree nuts 1,128.3 1,032.4 23.6 23.6 11.5 10.3 8.8 5.3 4.4 4.3 1.0

WI CA MN NY ID PA WA IA TX OH

Dairy products 1,118.4 236.3 225.7 89.4 60.6 56.8 56.5 49.2 33.8 28.8 26.8

AR CA LA TX MS MO na na na na

Rice 782.1 350.7 179.4 100.2 59.0 53.0 39.7 na na na na

CA AZ OR IL IA FL TX ND NE MN

Seeds 727.2 154.2 83.5 55.7 35.9 33.3 30.5 28.2 26.0 23.9 23.5

NE KS TX CO IA WI IL MN CA PA

Animal fats 2/ 319.5 63.2 62.8 48.5 20.7 16.4 14.6 11.7 8.9 8.9 8.9

ND SD KS CO MN NE TX na na na

Sunflowerseed and oil 208.1 102.1 62.3 15.9 10.1 7.9 3.8 2.1 na na na

GA TX AL NC FL VA OK na na na

Peanuts and products 170.2 67.8 34.3 22.0 14.8 10.5 9.3 7.5 na na na

TX CA MS GA AR NC LA AZ TN MO

Cottonseed and products 86.9 21.5 12.3 8.9 7.6 7.5 6.9 4.5 4.0 3.9 2.8

CA TX IL LA WA FL IA GA AR OR

Other 7,166.4 2,339.0 495.3 422.1 394.5 375.0 367.2 275.1 229.7 225.7 204.2

NA = not applicable. Other = misc. oilseeds, sugar & tropical prods, nursery & greenhouse, essential oils, beverages other than juice, and misc. animal prods.

1/ The unusual circumstance of virtually identical export value in fiscal 2000/2001 for North Dakota and Kansas occurs because North Dakota is the largest 

U.S. producer of durum wheat, which typically has a higher per unit value than hard red winter wheat, the predominant class produced in Kansas. In

2000/01, the North African countries of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia--some of the world’s largest durum wheat importers--experienced a drought that

reduced their production by about half, which increased global durum wheat demand and prices. Increased supplies of durum wheat from the United States,

the European Union, and Canada met this demand. As a result, North Dakota’s share of 2001 U.S. wheat export value increased over the previous year.

2/ Fats and Oils have been revised from the July 16, 2002 release due to a calculation error.
6 Economic Research Service, USDA

 Table 2--State agricultural exports: Estimated value, million dollars, FY 1997-2001

FY 1997 FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000 FY 2001 1/

United States 57269.1 53652.9 49043.3 50743.8 52734.9 

California 8264.7 8006.7 7366.3 7981.8 8698.4 

Texas 3330.2 3375.9 2791.3 3407.4 3332.9 

Iowa 4058.3 3569.0 3231.3 3327.2 3259.1 

Kansas 2891.6 2954.4 3024.4 3242.8 3099.3 

Illinois 3626.6 3150.8 2812.3 2876.1 3056.5 

Nebraska 3254.5 2814.0 2804.4 2979.7 2914.6 

Minnesota 2606.6 2288.6 2206.8 2203.7 2299.4 

Washington 1930.0 1704.5 1820.1 1665.5 1937.5 

Indiana 1725.1 1606.4 1414.7 1410.1 1546.0 

North Carolina 1555.5 1467.1 1215.2 1193.9 1389.0 

Arkansas 1831.5 1733.1 1301.1 1371.2 1385.2 

Wisconsin 1183.5 1203.0 1190.0 1268.3 1306.9 

Florida 1309.0 1130.8 1096.9 1222.1 1241.7 

North Dakota 1437.3 1242.6 1239.3 995.6 1203.1 

Missouri 1447.8 1327.9 1023.9 989.8 1150.7 

Ohio 1228.9 1301.7 1081.9 992.7 1135.4 

Georgia 1339.9 1165.5 909.4 1004.7 1107.3 

South Dakota 1245.2 1098.3 1104.1 1092.3 1106.0 

Kentucky 1084.3 925.5 860.3 789.8 1010.1 

Colorado 848.4 785.4 807.1 918.8 869.3 

Idaho 832.2 803.1 772.9 808.2 820.2 

Michigan 836.4 884.4 744.4 815.9 776.4 

Louisiana 862.5 750.3 564.9 685.9 765.0 

Pennsylvania 668.0 596.0 583.6 614.0 732.4 

Oregon 720.2 659.1 644.5 618.0 680.7 

Mississippi 870.2 825.9 549.4 619.5 620.1 

Tennessee 663.7 580.2 463.4 461.7 549.0 

Oklahoma 409.5 449.5 462.2 441.9 539.7 

New York 424.2 401.9 406.9 432.3 456.2 

Virginia 531.9 451.1 386.6 417.1 450.4 

Arizona 456.2 443.7 388.8 439.0 447.9 

Alabama 544.4 466.1 374.1 390.4 408.3 

Montana 440.9 421.9 392.7 388.1 320.9 

South Carolina 358.2 317.8 239.8 237.3 316.8 

Maryland 285.1 230.0 180.4 188.2 245.9 

New Jersey 221.9 193.1 181.3 183.5 234.1 

Utah 152.6 137.4 146.9 184.3 198.0 

Hawaii 132.1 128.4 131.8 147.3 162.7 

Delaware 152.2 130.7 105.9 106.5 139.2 

New Hampshire 130.5 129.2 127.3 129.8 134.2 

New Mexico 82.5 97.5 75.4 104.8 83.6 

Connecticut 81.5 97.0 95.2 110.0 78.1 

Maine 34.6 37.8 37.3 56.5 59.7 

Wyoming 39.7 43.7 32.0 49.3 53.0 

West Virginia 32.0 27.7 19.6 22.8 36.2 

Massachusetts 88.3 89.7 72.3 83.2 28.3 

Nevada 5.4 5.2 4.0 16.5 17.3 

Vermont 10.9 9.9 10.4 11.5 2.3 

Rhode Island 1.5 1.0 0.9 1.2 1.3 

Alaska 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.6 

Order based on fiscal 2001 rank.

1/ Fats and Oils have been revised from the July 16, 2002 release due to a calculation error.