Bulgaria: 2021 - Direct Versus Indirect Trade - Bulgaria's Hidden Market for U S Ag Exports

The U.S. Census Bureau’s bulk, intermediate, and consumer-oriented (BICO) export data tracks U.S. food and agricultural trade shipped directly to Bulgaria. However, it does not measure the substantial levels of the U.S. agricultural trade to Bulgaria routed through Western European ports of entry. According to BICO, U.S. suppliers shipped $28.1 million of U.S. food and agriculture to Bulgaria in 2021. However, according to Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute (NSI), which measures trade by country of origin and therefore reflects both direct and indirect trade, Bulgaria sourced $80.1 million of U.S. food and agriculture in 2021. FAS Sofia encourages USDA cooperators and other U.S. food and agricultural exporters and stakeholders to look beyond BICO data and review different data sources when considering resource allocation and market development strategies for Bulgaria.