Examines dairy exports from the United States from the previous fiscal year.Dairy Exports, International Relations/Trade,

Jesse, Edward V.

English

Research Papers in Economics

The Babcock Institute
 for International Dairy Research and Development
The Babcock Institute
 for International Dairy Research and Development
July 2008 International Dairy Notes
Authored by Edward Jesse, Director of Trade and Policy Studies, Babcock Institute • Phone: 608-262-6348 • E-mail: evjesse@facstaff.wis
Babcock Institute • 240 Agriculture Hall • 1450 Linden Dr.  • Madison, WI 53706 • E-mail: babcock@cals.wisc.edu • Web: http://babcock.cals.wisc.edu
WISCONSIN LEADS UNITED STATES IN DAIRY EXPORTS
The USDA recently released state-by-state agricultural export statistics for FY2007. The new data show that Wisconsin exports 
of dairy products totaled nearly $600 million, up $153 million from FY2006. California was a close second to Wisconsin, and 
the two leading states together accounted for nearly half of the value of U.S. dairy exports. 
Wisconsin’s share of U.S. FY2007 dairy exports was 23 percent, while the state’s share of U.S. milk production is only about 
13 percent. For the other top dairy exporting states, shares of total exports were roughly equivalent to shares of total milk 
production. Wisconsin’s greater export orientation is due to the dominance of cheese in its product mix. Cheese exports 
represent a relatively small share of export value, but cheese production 
yields dry whey, which is a major U.S. dairy export item. In 2007, 
Wisconsin produced about 30 percent of U.S. dry whey output.
Wisconsin dairy exports have increased substantially in recent 
years, in line with the overall increase in U.S. dairy exports. In 
FY2003, dairy exports from the dairy state were $250 million, 
only 43 percent of their level four years later. Wisconsin’s share 
of total U.S. dairy product exports has been practically 
constant at 23–25 percent
Exports of dairy products represented about 28 percent of Wisconsin’s 
FY2007 agricultural export total of$2.1 billion. The next leading export
commodities were feed grains (primarily corn) and soybeans, 
which together totaled about the same percentage of total export 
value as dairy. For the U.S., exports of dairy products made up  
only 3 percent of total agricultural exports. Corn and soybeans 
together accounted for more than 25 percent of U.S. agricultural 
export value. This emphasizes the dominance of dairy in Wisconsin’s 
agricultural economy.
Wisconsin Exports of Dairy Products
233 221 238
267 248 250
320
423 429
582
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Fiscal Year
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
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Percent of U.S Dairy Exports (Right Axis)
Wisconsin Dairy Product Exports (Left Axis) 
Wisconsin Agricultural Exports, FY2007
Dairy Products, $582
Feed 
Grains,
 $370
Soybeans, 
$221
Live Animals 
& Meat, 
$173
Hides & 
Skins,
$166
Vegetables, $140
Poultry, $91
Export Value in US$millions
Total State Exports = $2,102 million
Other Products:
Wheat, $80
Feeds, $54
Fats & Oils, $35
Fruits, $29 
Seeds, $3
Misc, $159 
Dairy Product Exports by State: FY2007
Wisconsin, 
$582.5
California, 
$566.2
New York, $217.8 Idaho, $146.6
Minnesota, $113.4
New Mexico, $111.9
Pennsylvania, $86.3
Ohio, $41.8
South Dakota, $38.9
Iowa, $38.8
Other States, 
$573.9
Export Value in US$million
Total U.S. = $2,518 million

Wisconsin Leads United States in Dairy Exports

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