Consistency and Commitment Will Fuel Ongoing Growth of U.S. Dairy Exports

The United States’ growth as a committed, consistent global dairy supplier delivering a portfolio of products suiting the needs of overseas buyers has driven U.S. dairy exports to three straight record years. The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) has been there every step of the way, said USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden at USDEC’s Spring Board of Directors meeting, which ended on Wednesday. In 2022 alone, USDEC staff traveled a combined 2.6 million air miles—the equivalent of five round-trip visits to the moon—for a broad array of activities aimed at building demand for U.S. exports and facilitating trade flows.  

Event sessions included:

• U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson’s assessment of the political landscape for agricultural issues and the need for improved market access for exports.
• Scott Gottlieb, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, on the FDA’s role in facilitating agricultural trade.
• Ambassador Doug McKalip, chief agricultural negotiator at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), and Alexis Taylor, undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs at USDA, about the 2023 agricultural trade landscape.
• A discussion about strengthening global connections with Michelangelo Margherita, head of trade section of the European Commission, Deputy Lloyd Day, deputy director general of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mexico to the United States of America.
• A speech and discussion on the effects of deglobalization on trade and the economy with Tom Halverson, CEO of CoBank, one of the largest private providers of credit to the U.S. rural economy.
   

“I believe it’s our responsibility to help nourish others when we have so much,” said Harden. “People can get calories. This is about the nourishment that comes from dairy and dairy products.”

In 2022, the United States set new records for dairy export volume (2.4 million metric tons, milk solids equivalent), value ($9.6 billion) and percentage of U.S. milk production exported (18%). It was another step in a steady international expansion of U.S. dairy, facilitated by the U.S. Dairy Export Council, a nonprofit membership organization founded by Dairy Management Inc. and partly funded by the dairy checkoff program. 

Looking ahead, the market dynamics that have helped carry U.S. dairy exports to this point remain favorable. A rising global population, growing middle class and the need for sustainable, affordable nutrition are expected to drive world dairy consumption, benefitting U.S. exports.

Harden captured the cautious optimism of the three-day meeting when she told attendees, “The long-term outlook for U.S. dairy exports is extremely bright. We are poised for continued growth.”