Exports
The U.S. dry bean industry is mechanized, relatively efficient, and produces quality products that are among the leading U.S. agricultural commodities in international trade. During the first 9 years of the 2000s, an average of 19 percent of the U.S. dry bean supply was exported annually, unchanged from the average in the 1990s. As it has for decades, the United States experienced a dry bean trade surplus in crop year 2007/08 (September-August). The surplus (excluding guar and other seed trade) amounted to $131 million, up from $96 million in 2006/07.
Leading export varieties in 2007/08 were pinto (27 percent of dry bean export volume), navy (pea) beans (19 percent), black beans (12 percent), Great Northern (9 percent), and garbanzo beans (6 percent). U.S. dry bean exports consist of commercial exports and U.S. food aid (direct donations and concessional programs). By volume shares, the top five foreign destinations for U.S. dry beans in 2007/08 were Mexico (24 percent), Canada (12 percent), the United Kingdom (11 percent), Angola (5 percent), and the Dominican Republic (5 percent).
The top five classes of exported dry beans in crop year 2007/08 were:
- Pinto beans, which led U.S. dry bean exports at $51 million (220 million pounds). The leading destinations by volume—Mexico (72 million pounds), Angola (39 million pounds), and the Dominican Republic (36 million pounds)—accounted for about two-thirds of volume.
- Black beans, with $33 million (98 million pounds) in exports. Mexico (78 million pounds), Venezuela (7 million pounds), and Haiti (5 million pounds) were the top destinations. Mexico remains a lucrative but unsteady market, with U.S. exports largely dependent on Mexican production shortfalls.
- Navy (pea) beans, with exports at $30 million (153 million pounds). The top markets for navy beans were the United Kingdom (U.K.) (74 million pounds ), Canada (46 million pounds), and Syria (9 million pounds). Although navy bean exports to the U.K. were reduced earlier this decade by the strong U.S. dollar and competition with Canada, the U.K. remains the top market for U.S. navy beans.
- Great Northern beans, with $00 million (77 million pounds) in exports. Top destinations were Turkey (27 million pounds), France (11 million pounds), and Malaysia (5 million pounds).
- Garbanzo beans (large chickpeas), with $15 million (52 million pounds) in exports. Spain (17 million pounds), Canada (12 million pounds), and the West Bank (4 million pounds) were the major destinations.
With domestic disappearance between 6-7 pounds per person, dry beans are not a staple in the United States. Given the slowdown in domestic dry bean demand since the early 2000s, growth in the industry over the next several years may depend on increased foreign sales.
Imports
Until this decade, the United States had not imported large volumes of dry beans. Prior to 2001, imports consistently accounted for only 4-6 percent of domestic consumption. However, U.S. dry bean import volume (excluding guar and other seed) jumped nearly threefold between 1996-98 and 2006-08. The value of dry bean imports totaled a record-high $141 million in 2007/08, up 42 percent from a year earlier. Import volume also reached a record high of 322 million pounds (up 16 percent from a year earlier).
Imports now account for about 17 percent of dry bean consumption. Aside from notable volumes for black beans, mung beans, and chickpeas, imports are largely spread out in smaller volumes over several classes. During the 2000s, imports have satisfied 20 percent of domestic black bean consumption.
About half of U.S. dry bean import volume originates in cross-border trade with Canada and Mexico. However, China has become the second leading supplier of dry beans to the United States, accounting for 23 percent of volume in 2007/08, up from 10 percent a decade earlier. Black beans (40 percent of volume) and mung beans (26 percent) accounted for the majority of imports from China in 2007/08. Imports of garbanzo beans, which come from Mexico (37 percent of volume in 2007/08), Canada (30 percent), and Turkey (12 percent), account for about a fourth of the domestic use of garbanzo beans and about 11 percent of all dry bean imports.
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