U.S. farm exports to China seen down 6 percent in fiscal 2019 vs. 2018: USDA

[February 21, 2019]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects the value of U.S. farm exports to drop by $1.9 billion to $141.5 billion in fiscal 2019, versus 2018, led by a steep decline in shipments to China due to an ongoing trade dispute, a department official said on Thursday.

"The share of total U.S. agricultural exports to China in value terms is projected to be 6 percent, down sharply, with China falling from the top market in 2017 to fifth place," USDA Chief Economist Robert Johansson told the USDA annual forum in Washington.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Julie Ingerswen; Writing by Richard Valdmanis)

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