US agriculture secretary promotes Trans-Pacific Partnership

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack traveled to Japan and China this week to meet some of the parties involved with the recently negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Japan and 10 other countries that make up the Trans-Pacific Partnership account for approximately $63 billion (42 percent) of the agricultural exports from the U.S. The agreement has not been made into law, but President Barack Obama hopes Congress will pass it.
   
In fiscal year 2015, the U.S. exported $139.7 billion in food and agricultural goods to consumers throughout the world. In the past seven years, the United States has exported the most food and agricultural goods in the country’s history, totaling $991.3 billion. The exports also mean the U.S. has been able to employ an estimated 11.7 million people, both on and off farms.

The USDA works to ensure the U.S. can export to new places around the world and to certify the agricultural exports – animals and plants – are healthy. In fiscal year 2015 alone, the USDA resolved over 150 trade-related issues with agricultural exports to countries around the world.