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Washington, DC - USDA Secretary Vilsack will travel to Japan and China this week, to meet with agricultural counterparts. The United States recently concluded negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with Japan and 10 other nations. Countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership currently account for up to 42 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports, totaling $63 billion. The Administration continues to work with Congress to secure the passage of the agreement into law so that American agriculture can take full advantage of unprecedented new market access in some of the fastest-growing countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The past seven years have represented the strongest period for American agricultural exports in the history of our country, with U.S. agricultural product exports totaling $911.3 billion between Fiscal Years 2009 and 2015. In fiscal year 2015, American farmers and ranchers exported $139.7 billion of food and agricultural goods to consumers worldwide. Not only that, U.S. agricultural exports supported more than 1 million American jobs both on and off the farm, a substantial part of the estimated 11.7 million jobs supported by exports all across our country.

Opening New Markets for Farmers, Ranchers, and Rural Businesses

USDA continuously seeks opportunities for U.S. agricultural producers to expand overseas markets that contribute to a positive U.S. trade balance, create jobs, and boost economic growth.

Removing Unfair Barriers to Trade

USDA works on behalf of agricultural exporters to resolve trade related to animal and plant health concerns and to ensure that trade decisions are based on science. In FY2015, USDA resolved more than 150 trade-related issues involving U.S. agricultural exports valued at $2.4 billion.

USDA believes that American agriculture will always succeed if competition is fair. USDA remains a strong partner and advocate in the international marketplace, working with foreign governments and international regulatory or standard-setting organizations to ensure the smooth and safe flow of international trade. USDA will continue to strike down foreign barriers to American products that can't be justified by science-while helping exporters identify and gain access to new overseas markets.