According to U.S. trade statistics, the U.S. planting seed exports appear to have fallen slightly from $818,000 million in MY 2001/02 to just under $813,000 million in MY 2002/03.  Field crop seeds, such as corn and soybean seeds brought down the total, declining 15 percent while grass seeds, other forage seeds, and leguminous vegetable seeds increased 26, 24, and 18 percent, respectively.   However, due to a possible data misclassification of soybean seed exports to Mexico in MY 2001/02, seed exports in 02/03 have actually increased slightly.  Despite the likelihood of rapid commercialization in the Mexican soybean seed market, it appears there may be an error in U.S. trade statistics.  Currently, the Census Bureau is investigating this data discrepancy.   

The value of seed exports to Western Hemisphere countries is down 11 percent while exports to the European Union, Middle East and South Asia helped offset this decline.  Exports to Mexico, our single largest market, were down 13 percent, mostly due to an 80 percent drop in yellow corn seeds.  Seed exports to Canada declined 5 percent in large part due to a drop in other corn seed exports.  Grass seed exports to Canada increased, however.    Argentina, Italy, Japan, and Venezuela also imported less U.S. seed than last year.  Argentina decreased its alfalfa seed imports while Italy and Venezuela decreased yellow seed corn imports.  Many countries including China, Costa Rica, France, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Spain all increased U.S. planting seed imports.   France, Pakistan and Spain primarily increased their imports of yellow seed corn while China and Saudi Arabia increased alfalfa seed imports.  Hong Kong increased its imports of oat seeds.