The United States’ Competitive Positions in Beef, Corn, Pork, Soy, and Wheat Exports: 1980–2019

Abstract

In a recent publication, CARD researchers and USDA economists looked at the international relationships between the United States and its major export competitors in beef (Chen et al. 2020). In that article, the researchers examined beef because the 2004 bovine spongiform encephalopathy (“mad cow disease”) event caused a major disruption in US beef exports and the United States’ competitive position. The authors conclude that even when exports return to pre-disruption levels, the disruption could change the structure of the export market. What the researchers found was that it took much longer for the United States’ competitive position in beef to return to pre-disruption levels.