Why Consider Exporting?

• Overseas Growth: Exports of consumer food products are growing three times faster than sales here in the U.S. They have soared in recent years in response to consumers' growing purchasing power and lower trade barriers.
  
  
• Overseas Potential: 95% of the world's population and two-thirds of total world purchasing power are located outside of the United States. Imagine the potential, as the world becomes more integrated, and develops similar likes for products.
  
  
• Small Companies Can Be Successful Exporters: It's a popular misconception that only large companies can succeed overseas. Indeed, many small companies have found that their competitive advantage lies in some form of technological or creative advantage. Many have "unique" or "niche-type" products that are always in demand overseas!
  
  
• International Markets More Accessible: Over 20 Free Trade agreements were created this year to decrease America's trade deficit. These trade agreements, NAFTA, and WTO have lowered many trade restrictions for U.S. products, giving U.S. exporters an unprecedented level of access to many international markets. These reductions have helped all U.S agricultural exporters, but in many instances have been particularly advantageous for exporters of value-added food and agricultural products. The top U.S. trade policy objective is improved market access for U.S. food and agricultural producers.
  
  
• Export Assistance Is Available: Many firms shy away from exporting because they don't know how or where to get started. Fortunately, help is available! Food Export Association, your local state agricultural promotion agency and other export providers can provide your company with a wide range of export assistance to help introduce you to the world of exporting.
  
  
• Economic Growth: Consumer preferences, shaped primarily by incomes, changing lifestyles, and evolving cultural preferences, largely determine the items available in grocery stores in different markets. In developing-country markets, higher incomes result in diet upgrades, with increased demand for meats, dairy products, and other higher value food products. These include packaged cereals, pasta, oils, and other items used in meal preparations.
  
  
• U.S. Competitive Advantage: Another contributor to the growth in value-added food exports is U.S. food exporters' competitive advantage in food processing. U.S. and Western Europe are considered to have the largest amounts of food and manufacturing centers. Many U.S. firms lead the way in adopting new technologies and in meeting the ever-changing consumer demand and trends, making them better able to customize their products for foreign consumers. Many are thus able to supply the types of foods products that are most in demand, including convenience foods like home meal replacement items, private label products, and niche-type products such as organic and functional products.