LANSING, Mich. – Michigan saw a big jump in its exports in 2020 and it’s making officials feel more optimistic about the future.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Michigan’s agricultural exports totaled $2.16 billion in 2020, an increase of 18.7 percent from the previous year’s total of $1.82 billion.

“I think this really speaks to the strength, resilience and global demand for Michigan’s high-quality foods,” said the Gary McDowell, state agriculture director, in an announcement. “Last year was a difficult time for people, communities and businesses, so it’s reassuring when we receive positive news like this, especially for an industry that supports so many families and rural areas.”

The U.S. Census Bureau reports exports on a regular basis, explained Jamie Zmitko-Somers, director of the state’s agricultural development division. “We went through all the statistics over the past few months and came out with where we’re at with our exports,” she said. “It was a pleasant surprise. We had been looking at our exports quarterly, so we were optimistic; but we were very pleasantly surprised compared to 2019 and 2018, especially given the COVID pandemic.” Michigan’s exports to foreign nations were down in the two previous years due to trade disputes, but they jumped back up in 2020. She described these latest figures as the second largest ever, behind only 2014.

Significant increases in exports were seen in dairy products, soybeans, sugar beet byproducts and wheat byproducts. Canada and Mexico remained Michigan’s top export markets, largely due to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, known as the USMCA. Exports to South Korea and China saw renewed growth, moving up to the third and fifth positions, respectively. Michigan’s top exports include processed food products at $365 million; soybeans, sugar beets and wheat byproducts, $253 million; cereals, baked goods and pasta, $208 million; soybeans and soybean meal, $193; and dairy products, $180 million.

Zmitko-Somers added that last summer and fall there were concerns about the food supply chain. At certain points last summer meat packing plants in Michigan and other states were threatened with shutdowns due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus among workers. However, no plant in Michigan was shut down at any point. Due to slowdowns at processing plants, some farmers in Michigan were concerned that they might not be able to get their pigs processed. That worst case scenario did not come about. According to Zmitko-Somers, foods in Michigan were harvested, processed and delivered right on time and this contributed to the success of the state’s exports last year.

“We continue to have programs to continue exports and to help businesses connect with other businesses,” she stated. “Certain kinds of international travel are going to be restricted for awhile. We’re still working to connect businesses remotely, because vaccination rates around the world are not the same as they are in the United States.”

The state’s International Marketing Program, part of the state agriculture department’s development division, provides help to the state’s food and agriculture sector by providing services like one-on-one consultations, export education, export assistance and market entry activities. More information about these services can be found at www.michigan.gov/agexport.