For decades, the United States has been the world’s largest agricultural exporter, but the title is becoming harder to maintain, says the Wall Street Journal. “America’s share of global corn, soybean and wheat exports has shrunk by more than half since the mid-1970s,” it says, pointing to USDA data, adding that soybeans “make up about 40 percent of world exports, down from more than 70 percent three decades ago.”
“We’re going to have to learn the table manners of sitting at a larger table,” said Illinois farmer Jerrry Gaffner, who monitors South American crops as part of deciding when to sell his commodities. The United States is the world’s largest soybean producer but Brazil and Argentina grow 48 percent of the world’s crop and account for half of the export market. In its burgeoning role as one of the world’s agricultural powers, Brazil is forecast to be second to the United States as a corn exporter this marketing year, and trails only the United States and China in corn production.
“Anxiety over the U.S. role in agricultural trade has grown in recent months amid moves by President Donald Trump to withdraw the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was backed by many farm groups, and potential changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which they say helped develop exports to Canada and Mexico.” says the Journal.