Updated "Agricultural Products" Definition for Trade Reporting

Beginning with the release of the January 2021 monthly agricultural trade data on March 5, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will change the way it defines "agricultural products" when reporting on international trade. USDA will adopt the World Trade Organization (WTO) definition, which includes ethanol, distilled spirits, and manufactured tobacco products, three product groups not included in the current USDA definition.

The change will harmonize U.S. trade reporting practices with those of the international community and will ensure that USDA numbers are aligned with those of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which already uses the WTO definition when negotiating WTO binding trade agreements.

USDA is making this change in coordination with the U.S. Department of Commerce. USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service is updating historical datasets in preparation for the March 5 change and will make data available under both definitions in its Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS) database (https://apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/).

For more information, contact jason.carver@usda.gov.