Export Sales Reporting Program
Timely reporting and publishing of agricultural export sales data is key to effectively functioning markets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is required by law to publicly release summary sales data obtained from U.S. exporters of many agricultural commodities.
Weekly Reporting
Each week, U.S. exporters are required to report to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) any sales transaction entered into with a buyer outside the United States for the following commodities, regardless of quantity:
| Barley | Cottonseed Oil | Soybeans |
| Beef | Flaxseed | Soybean Cake and Meal |
| Cattle Hides and Skins | Grain Sorghum | Soybean Oil |
| Cattle Wet Blues | Linseed Oil | Sunflower Seed Oil |
| Corn | Oats | Wheat (by class) |
| Cotton (by type) | Pork | Wheat Products |
| Cottonseed | Rice (by class) | |
| Cottonseed Cake and Meal | Rye |
Weekly reporting is also required for all food aid donations, regardless of the commodity or volume.
The weekly reporting period runs Friday through Thursday and exporters must report no later than 11:59 p.m. ET the following Monday. FAS publishes a weekly summary of export sales activity every Thursday at 8:30 a.m. ET, unless a change is announced. If the preceding Friday or Monday is a national holiday, the reporting deadline moves to Tuesday and the weekly summary is published Friday.
FAS compares and reconciles reported data with sources including USDA’s Federal Grain Inspection Service, U.S. Census Bureau, and trade reports.
Daily Reporting
In addition to the weekly reporting requirement, daily reports to USDA are required for any export sales activity of quantities totaling:
- 100,000 metric tons or more of one commodity sold in one day to one destination, except for soybean oil.
- 200,000 metric tons or more of one commodity sold to one destination during any reporting week, except for soybean oil.
- 20,000 metric tons or more of soybean oil sold in one day to one destination.
- 40,000 metric tons or more of soybean oil sold to one destination during any reporting week.
By 3 p.m. ET on the business day following the transaction, exporters must report to FAS the quantity sold, the commodity type and class, the marketing year of the shipment, and the ultimate destination.
FAS publishes this information on the subsequent business day at 9 a.m. ET. The reporting week for daily sales is Friday -Thursday. Daily sales activity is also captured in the weekly report.
| Barley | Oats | Soybean Oil |
| Corn | Soybeans | Wheat |
| Grain Sorghum | Soybean Cake and Meal |
(See the latest daily sales reports below, under News and Features.)