International trade has captured many headlines in 2018; but in this blog, we’re talking about the bird not the country.

U.S. exports of turkey meat are projected to decline to 586 million pounds in 2018, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS).[1] That represents about 6% less than last year’s exports of 622 million pounds. The latest report from the USDA suggests turkey production is lower due to relatively weak prices. For additional context, a related blog has further details on turkey prices over time and employment in turkey production by state.

The chart below shows trends in the exports of turkey meat since 2004, with a holiday twist on the traditional bar chart.

[1] https://www.ers.usda.gov/newsroom/trending-topics/turkey-sector-background-statistics/