Export markets

U.S. pork shipments to Central America and the Dominican Republic strengthened in the first quarter of 2026, driven by rising incomes, tourism and preferential trade access. Shipments rose 15% year‑over‑year to 78,271 metric tons, valued at $246.1 million. 78,271 mt shipped and <...

Texas shrimpers at Port Isabel say a persistent labor shortage is putting pressure on the Gulf shrimp fleet and prompting calls for more temporary visas to staff boats and processing operations. The Texas Shrimp Association says the industry needs 100 additional H-2B visas this y...

Taiwan's government is pushing back against concerns that lower tariffs on U.S. mandarins will damage its local citrus industry. Officials say a new trade agreement that reduces duties on American mandarins is unlikely to disrupt domestic markets because U.S. shipments are small relative to local...

USDA Economic Research Service projections show U.S. pork exports are expected to continue growing through 2035 and to remain ahead of chicken and beef in export volume. The outlook is based on the USDA Agricultural Projections to 2035 (February 2026) and the April 2026 World Agricultural Supply ...

President Donald Trump is preparing for a summit in Beijing that U.S. farm groups and lawmakers expect will put agriculture at the center of talks. Delegations already in China have been pressing for concrete purchase commitments on U.S. commodities as negotiators discuss a possible extension of ...

Confirmed pseudorabies detections in two small U.S. swine herds have prompted precautionary import limits from Mexico, but officials emphasize commercial pork remains safe for consumers. Pork muscle cuts unaffected by Mexico’s current restrictions, the U.S. Meat Export Federation...

Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow emeritus at the International Food Policy Research Institute, told attendees at the Sosland Purchasing Seminar in Kansas City that geopolitics has moved to the forefront of agricultural markets. He said the current disruption of shipping routes in the Middle...

U.S. pork exports posted one of their strongest months on record in March, according to USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation. 285,567 metric tons shipped, an increase of 6% from a year earlier, and exporters said demand was broad across key markets. Shipments wer...

John Bode, CEO of the Corn Refiners Association, says federal policy is falling short when it comes to protecting market access for U.S. agricultural producers. He told Brownfield the industry needs clearer, evidence-based tools to shore up demand for corn products at home and abroad. Ris...

Grain markets are watching a planned U.S.–China meeting in mid-May for signs of new purchase commitments that could lift demand for U.S. soybeans. Traders have shown optimism that China could agree to buy additional old-crop soybeans ahead of the talks, though firm commitments are not certain. <s...

Few agricultural products are as tied to a place as crawfish are to Louisiana, but the industry faces a sharply deteriorating economic picture in 2026 as multiple pressures converge. Farmgate prices for live crawfish remain near levels used in current planning budgets while input bills have risen...

U.S. farm groups say 2026 could bring a surge in agricultural exports to Cuba as the island’s private sector grows and food needs rise amid energy shortages. Paul Johnson, chair of the United States Agriculture Coalition for Cuba, called the moment important after a March trip where he saw rollin...