Getting Information on U.S. Agricultural Trade Has Never Been Easier!

Take a ride on FAS.USDA.GOV  

A simple click on our home page and our electronic roadmap can take you down the path to electronic enlightenment. Here’s a sampling of the enriching objectives that await an exploring exporter.

Click on Countries

Interested in how to export to a specific country? Here’s where you will turn up reports from our network of offices worldwide on various commodities; trade prospects; market overviews; and a listing of our overseas posts, including links to various attaché and agricultural trade office home pages.

Click on Commodities

Need answers to your export questions about specific commodities? Links at this page provide you direct contact with commodity specialists, current commodity publications, market reports, trade circulars, and archival material.

The page also links to the popular BICO (bulk, intermediate, and consumer-oriented) searchable import and export trade database, and information on FAS’ trade policy activities.

Click on Exporter Help

If you need help in getting started in exporting, check out this page. It includes information about exporter counseling services, trade shows, trade leads, and foreign buyer lists.

This page will link you to an interactive self-evaluation program to help determine your firm’s export readiness. It covers a wide range of issues, including financing, marketing, production and shipping.

Click on News and Info

Many FAS printed publications are available online free of charge--from circulars to AgExporter magazine to fact sheets describing FAS programs, services, and policies. News releases and program announcements are available from a searchable database.

Click on Programs

This page includes information on FAS export programs, food aid, technical assistance, and import regulations. Updates on the status of programs by country and commodity, fact sheets, frequently asked questions, and operational rules are posted for easy reference.

Click on Trade Policy

Click here to get the latest information on FAS trade policy activities. You can find resource material on international trade agreements and U.S. participation in international cooperation efforts. Further links provide current import regulations and tariff schedules.

Hard Copy? It’s Not Hard To Obtain

FAS printed publications are available through the National Technical Information Service (NTIS).

You can subscribe to FAS publications by contacting NTIS, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. For immediate service, call the NTIS Subscription Section at (703) 605-6060. Call for current fax number.

Publications include FAS circulars, AgExporter magazine, and the Food & Agricultural Export Directory.

• Circulars present information on U.S. and world production, supply and demand, and trade statistics for many different commodities. They also cover crop estimates, the latest trade policy developments, and export marketing information.

Frequency of publication varies by title. Covered commodities include tropical products, cotton, dairy, livestock, poultry, grain, oilseeds, planting seeds, horticultural products, sugar, tobacco, and wood.

The World Agricultural Production circular provides monthly information on U.S. and world production of major agricultural products, including crop, livestock, and forestry estimates, weather and production briefs, and special articles of interest to the trade.

The Monthly Summary of Export Credit Guarantee Program Activity report shows fiscal year commitment figures for the Commodity Credit Corporation’s Export Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-102) and Intermediate Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-103).

• AgExporter is a monthly trade magazine based on information from USDA experts overseas. Articles focus on overseas markets, detailing market opportunities and export requirements for specific markets.

• The Food & Agricultural Export Directory includes the addresses and phone numbers for USDA agencies, FAS foreign attachés, State departments of agriculture, cooperators and Market Access Program (MAP) participants, other U.S. Government organizations relevant to exporters, multilateral organizations, and foreign embassies.

Got a Question? Need Some Export Counseling?

The Trade Assistance and Promotion Office (TAPO) (Tel.: (202) 720-7420; Fax: (202) 205-9728) offers information to the public on foreign markets for agricultural products, and help in accessing government programs. TAPO can provide country- and commodity-specific Foreign Market Information Reports, and information on services such as:

Trade Leads	(202) 690-3416
Foreign Buyer Lists	(202) 690-3416
Buyer Alert Programs and U.S. Suppliers	(202) 690-3421

Reporting on Export Sales

The FAS export sales reporting system monitors most commodity sales on a daily and weekly basis. Daily sales figures are released to the general public through a departmental press announcement.

The complete weekly sales report, U.S. Export Sales, is available on the FAS home page; NTIS sells subscriptions to a printed version.

The weekly sales report is available by commodity groupings on the FAS "Fax-on-Demand" system; call (202) 720-0876 and follow the voice instructions. To receive selected summary and commodity information from fax polling, dial as follows:

News Releases and Program Announcements Available Online and Via Fax

News releases and program announcements detail agreements and allocations for exports covered under Public Law 480 (Food for Peace), the GSM-102 and GSM-103 export credit guarantee programs, the Supplier Credit Guarantee Program, the Facility Guarantee Program, the Export Enhancement Program (EEP), the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP), and the Market Access Program (MAP).

To receive releases, set your fax machine for polling and dial (202) 720-1728. All releases also are available from the FAS home page.

Fact Sheets

Fact sheets describing agency programs are available through the Information Division at (202) 720-7115 or on the FAS home page.

Handy Home Pages for Exporters

Last modified: Thursday, October 14, 2004 PM