Statement from FAS Administrator Daniel Whitley Regarding Weekly Export Sales Reporting
WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2022 – USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley issued the following statement today regarding weekly export sales reporting:
"As a result of unanticipated difficulties with the launch of the new Export Sales Reporting and Maintenance System, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service will temporarily revert to the legacy system while we work to fully resolve the issues with the new system. FAS will be unable to publish weekly export sales data on Thursday, Sept. 1 or Thursday, Sept. 8, but we expect to resume regular reporting on Thursday, Sept. 15.
"Since the system relies on data submissions by exporters, FAS is working closely with individual exporters to ensure that past, current, and future export sales data are accurate. Our staff will continue to conduct outreach and provide support to both data reporters and data users in anticipation of the re-launch of the new system.
"Data integrity, credibility, and transparency are top priorities for FAS. The timely and accurate reporting of agricultural export sales data is vital to effectively functioning markets. The new Export Sales Reporting and Maintenance System is designed to assure data security and availability. It will also provide a platform for future automations and enhancements that benefit both data reporters and data users.
"FAS recognizes the impacts of the problems that arose from this rollout. Despite the measures taken over many months to transition to the new system, we understand that further action is necessary to ensure credible and accurate data reporting. We are working to resolve the problems and are committed to keeping our stakeholders informed as we do so.
"Export sales reporting is a partnership between USDA and U.S. agricultural exporters and we recognize data integrity and data quality are interrelated. As FAS rolls out the new system, we look forward to strengthening our partnership with the exporter community to ensure overall compliance, accuracy, and functionality of the new system."
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