Browse Data and Analysis

The Dominican Republic continues to be a strong market for U.S. bulk agricultural products (corn), intermediate goods (soybean meal), and high value consumer-oriented products (processed food products), reaching a total export value of $1.4 billion in 2020.

Biosafety regulatory efforts in the Caribbean remain stalled, and it is yet to be seen whether countries can regain the will and secure the international financing required to fully implement their National Biosafety Frameworks in a harmonized manner.

On January 29, 2021, the Court of Constitution dismissed an opposition lawsuit filed back in 2020 against the biosafety technical regulation approved on October 1, 2019 by the Ministry of Economy as part of the regulatory harmonization process with Honduras.

Agricultural biotechnology constitutes an opportunity for U.S. suppliers, as non-governmental and governmental organizations have been working to encourage its integration into the Haitian economy in recent years.

Mexico is the third-largest pork importer in the world and traditionally the largest U.S. market for pork exports by volume. Over the past few years, shipments to this important market have faced headwinds. First, retaliatory tariffs related to Section 232 actions disadvantaged U.S. product. Then the coronavirus pandemic and a weak Mexican economy weighed on demand.

The Agricultural Trade Office (ATO)/Sao Paulo estimate for the Brazilian coffee production for Marketing Year (MY) 2021/22 (July-June) remains unchanged at 56.3 million 60-kg bags, a significant decrease of 19 percent compared to last year’s record output of 69.9 million bags.

In 2021, despite advantages offered through the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA), U.S. rice exports to Colombia have declined to just $5 million through July. The significantly lower exports to this market are a result of a larger Colombian crop and lower domestic prices, plus increased competition from South American exporters.

In marketing year (MY) 2021/22, Post's revised Colombian coffee production forecast is down to 13.8 million bags (1 bag = 60 kilograms) green bean equivalent (GBE), due to potentially heavy rains from the La Niña weather phenomena that is projected to materialize towards the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022

In 2020, Canadian food sales amounted to US$49 billion, a decrease of 34 percent from the previous year. This includes commercial and non-commercial national sales.

On November 5, Brazil announced a unilateral 10 percent reduction of import tariffs on 87 percent of all goods and services until December 31, 2022. Agricultural products are on the list of reductions, including ethanol – which was lowered by 10 percent from 20 percent to 18 percent.

Mexico's new certification requirements for bulk/raw organic product imports will enter into force on January 1, 2022.

On Saturday, November 6, Mexico's National Service for Agricultural Health, Food Safety, and Agri-Quality (SENASICA) published on its website the Phytosanitary Requirement Sheet (HRF by its Spanish acronym) for U.S. potato imports to the entirety of Mexico.