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GRAPHIC: U.S. ag industry has increased its foreign investments in past decade, government data shows

In particular, American companies involved in crop production have increased their foreign holdings.

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GRAPHIC: U.S. ag industry has increased its foreign investments in past decade, government data shows
Harvest starts near Mansfield, Ill., on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013.

Over the past decade, the agriculture sector has grown its investment in foreign holdings at a higher clip than most other industries, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Compared to other major industries, foreign investment from U.S. agriculture is still very small, the data shows. But, in the past 10 years, the investment amount has increased by more than 300% — the second highest jump.

While the data does not specify individual companies, it includes companies involved in animal and crop production. In particular, crop production companies have vastly increased their foreign holdings: from about $2 billion in 2011 to about $12 billion in 2021.

DATA ANALYSIS: This graphic uses “direct investment abroad” data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data includes industries’ balance of payments and direct investment positions, which measures transactions and positions between U.S. parents and their foreign affiliates. The data was then sorted by industry using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The overall industries on this page were used to delineate the different, major industries used in the graphic.

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