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USDA: AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS CONTRIBUTED $369.2 BILLION TO U.S. ECONOMY
Sep. 30, 2026
Source: USDA news release
U.S. agricultural exports support economic activity both within agriculture and across the broader economy. As farm and food products enter export channels, they generate demand for services such as transportation, storage, handling, packaging, marketing, and financial services to move goods from producers to the ports.
USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) captures these linkages through the Agricultural Trade Multipliers, which estimate how agricultural exports support U.S. economic output and jobs. In 2024, the value of U.S. agricultural exports, including biodiesel, totaled $177.2 billion alone.
These exports supported an additional $192 billion in economic activity, resulting in $369.2 billion in total U.S. economic output. Bulk, unprocessed commodities, such as grain, soybeans, cotton, and raw (unprocessed) tobacco, were valued at $56.4 billion in export value and supported an additional $51.5 billion in domestic economic activity. 4
Nonbulk exports--products that undergo additional processing or require specialized handling, such as soybean meal, ethanol, meats, almonds, fruits, and vegetables--added substantial value beyond their export prices. In 2024, nonbulk agricultural exports totaling $120.8 billion supported an additional $140.5 billion in domestic economic activity.
Overall, each $1 of U.S. agricultural exports supported $2.08 in total U.S. economic activity in 2024.
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