(NAFB.com) – Export markets are an important sales outlet for American food and agricultural production. Since 2008, an average of 20 percent of the value of all U.S. agricultural output has been shipped to destinations in other countries. The export market is a growing one for U.S. non-manufactured products, a group that includes commodities like grains, oilseeds, and produce. In the last decade, the exports of these commodities have increased as a percent of production at a rate of 1.4 percent annually. For commodities such as food grains, exports make up about 65 percent of the production value. Fruits and tree nut exports make up 44 percent of the production value. In contrast, the U.S. exports a lower share of the value of manufactured goods, including sweeteners, bakery products, and dairy products. This overall share has been declining since 2012, indicating that a greater percentage of production is being retained for domestic consumption.