Exports Setting Records

Back in 2010 I spoke about the almost forgotten “made in the USA” label and its resurgence in both domestic and international markets. At the time American workers were needing jobs and agreeing to slightly lower wages, and Chinese labor costs were on the rise. Consulting groups were predicting that by 2015 American grown and American made products would once again mean quality, affordability and availability to the global market. What then seemed like an extremely optimistic prediction now seems pretty spot on. The USDA recently released its final total for U.S. ag exports in FY 2014, which skyrocketed to a record $152.5 billion; shooting past last year’s record of $141 billion. Ag Secretary Vilsack stated that, “Agricultural exports have climbed 41% in value over the past five years. U.S. agricultural exports have increased in volume as well as in monetary value, which demonstrates an increasing global appetite for high-quality, American grown products.” It’s nice to know that sometimes predictions really do come true.