Browse Data and Analysis

In marketing year (MY) 2023/24, Colombia's corn and rice production are forecast to marginally increase driven by higher domestic prices and expected normalized weather conditions. However, high production costs continue to be a challenge for Colombian producers.

Cotton production in Peru is estimated to reach 16,000 MT in CY 2023, increasing 8 percent compared to the previous year.

On June 30, 2022, the National Health Commission (NHC) and the State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) released the National Food Safety Standard for Maximum Levels of Contaminants in Foods (GB 2762-2022), which will enter into force on June 30, 2023.

Japan is one of the world’s leading consumers of seafood. In 2022, it imported $15 billion of seafood products, making it the world’s third largest importer. Half of Japan’s seafood demand is met by imports. The United States is the third largest seafood supplier to Japan, specializing in salmon, cod, pollock, herring, crab, and lobster.

In 2022, Spain imported $2.1 billion worth of agricultural, seafood and forest products from the United States, up 27 percent compared to the previous year. After high rates of consumer price inflation in 2022, the latest European Union economic forecast shows Spain’s economic growth forecast at 1.4 percent in 2023 and 2.0 percent in 2024.

Post forecasts that MY2023/24 rice production will reach a five-year record of 20.4 million metric tons due to abundant water supplies and attractive farm-gate prices.

Rice export prices decreased 1 percent as new supplies of MY2022/23 off-season rice continued entering the market.

The UK has a large, well-developed food processing industry, requiring a wide range of ingredients, from low-value, highly processed food to high-value, lightly processed ingredients. This provides many opportunities for U.S. exporters, including wellness and health products.

In 2022, the Government of Ecuador continued to support floor prices for local production of corn, rice, and wheat as well as began subsidizing the price of fertilizers for small producers.

On March 13, 2023, China notified 421 Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) to the World Trade Organization (WTO) under G/SPS/N/CHN/1277. The proposed date of entry into force is to be determined.

On February 13, 2023, Mexico published a modified 2023 Corn Decree in the Diario Official Federal (DOF). The new Presidential decree abrogates the 2020 GE Corn Decree and is immediately effective on February 14, 2023.

Israel's reform to decentralize the control on toiletries and food will impact the import of processed food products.