Bulgaria: 2019 Direct Versus Indirect Trade--Bulgaria's Hidden Market for US Agriculture

The U.S. Census Bureau’s database for bulk, intermediate, and consumer-oriented (BICO) measures U.S. food and agriculture exports shipped from the United States directly to foreign ports of entry. As a result, BICO does not account for substantial U.S. agricultural trade to Bulgaria because most U.S. goods are routed through Western European port, en route to Bulgaria, and counted as U.S. exports to those countries. According BICO, U.S. food and agricultural exports to Bulgaria in 2019 reached $24 million. However, according to Bulgaria’s National Statistical institute (NSI), which measures trade by country of origin and therefore reflects both direct and indirect trade, Bulgaria sourced upwards of $64.3 million of U.S. food and agriculture in 2019. FAS Sofia encourages USDA Cooperators and other U.S. food and agricultural exporters and stakeholders to look beyond BICO and review different data sources when considering resource allocations and market development strategies for Bulgaria.

Bulgaria: 2019 Direct Versus Indirect Trade--Bulgaria's Hidden Market for US Agriculture