The pork trade has been growing and growing. According to the most recent data published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, the product’s sales to the international market brought revenues to the country of $8 billion in 2021.

U.S. pork exports have experienced a remarkable 70% increase over the past 12 years. This can largely be attributed to the state of Iowa.

In 2021, Iowa alone accounted for more than one-third of the nation’s total foreign pork sales. Following close behind were Minnesota (12%), North Carolina (10%), Illinois (7%) and Indiana (6%).

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Mónica Cordero is a Report for America corps member and part of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk team. Her expertise includes data analysis with Python and SQL, and reporting under the...