WASHINGTON—The United States has been expanding exports in Southeast Asia as it seeks to diversify agricultural trade and reduce dependence on China, a senior U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official told The Epoch Times.
The region has emerged as the fourth-largest buyer of American farm goods, according to a new USDA report seen by The Epoch Times ahead of its release.
Vietnam led growth among the 11 countries in Southeast Asia, taking in about $4.7 billion in American farm commodities last year—a 38 percent increase from 2024.
U.S. cotton sales to Southeast Asia nearly doubled last year and were trending higher over the first eight months of this year….