We supported market loss assistance payments because the government has not taken all reasonable steps to increase exports and reduce regulatory hurdles. Since our focus at this meeting is the export of bulk commodities, I want to spend some time reviewing the progress and the challenges facing both our organizations. U.S corn farmers are productive and competitive in world grain markets, but our export performance does not always reflect that comparative advantage. Ten years ago the United States controlled over 80 percent of world corn exports. This crop year our market share is estimated at 59 percent.
Many factors affect export demand in any given year.
Certainly, our aggressive use of biotechnology has cost us markets in Spain and Portugal. The United States has imposed unilateral sanctions that have denied our own producers access to markets that our competitors rush to fill. And the international rules that govern trade in agricultural products will have to be strengthened and improved before we meet our full potential.