U.S. agricultural exports improved to $12.08 billion in October, up from $10.3 billion in September, and the highest since they were $12.08 billion in November 2018, according to USDA’s Latest U.S. Agricultural Trade Data update.
However, they were below the October 2018 mark of $12.16 billion. Imports, meanwhile, were at $10.92 billion, up from $10.08 billion in September, marking an eight straight month at $10 billion or more. They were just slightly ahead of the year-ago mark.
The result is a trade surplus of $1.17 billion, down from the year-ago mark of $1.26 billion, but up from just $219.8 million in September. October and November tend to be the strongest two months for U.S. agricultural exports each FY, while imports have tended to peak in the March-May period.
Imports have been at $10 billion or more in all but two months since October 2017. During FY 2019, which ended with a trade surplus of $4.6 billion, the smallest since FY 2006, only October and November saw the trade surplus above $1 billion and there were three monthly deficits registered, including a record monthly deficit of $865 million in April.
USDA forecasts FY 2020 ag exports will rise to $139 billion versus the FY 2019 result of $135.5 billion, while imports are seen at a record $132 billion, taking out the prior record registered in FY 2019 of $130.9 billion. That is forecast to leave a trade surplus of $7 billion. But with imports maintaining a solid pace, the USDA forecast is far from certain at this point.
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