Exports of wheat flour from the United States in the 2016 calendar year increased 14% from the prior year’s outgo and were the largest since 2002, according to the U.S. Customs Service.

Shipment of flour to foreign destinations in the past calendar year totaled 7,344,000 cwts, against 6,429,000 cwts in the previous year and the recent shipment low of 3,418,000 cwts in 2006. The past year’s U.S. flour outgo was the largest in 14 years, or since 2002, when the outgo was 9,246,000. The recent peak in U.S. flour exports occurred in 1995, with clearances of 23,566,000 cwts. 

As has been true in recent years, the major share of U.S. flour exports in 2016 went to the two neighboring countries of Mexico and Canada. In 2017, these two accounted for total shipments of 6,785,000 cwts, or 92% of aggregate foreign shipments.