When Will U.S. Firms Become Major Dairy Exporters and Bigger Direct Investors in Foreign Dairy-Food Businesses?

The prospects for substantially expanded dairy exports by U.S. firms are not bright for at least the current decade. The exceptions relate to exports of dried whey, whey fractions, dairy blends, selected specialty dairy products and nonfat dry milk. U.S. dairy exports are likely to continue to be low because U.S. prices for bulk dairy products are sharply higher than world prices. Unlike the situation for dairy exporting, the barriers to foreign direct investment by U.S. firms appear less daunting. The prevalence of successful foreign direct investments by the foreign firms described here suggests that a larger number of U.S. firms could engage in such investments successfully