The countries the U.S. ships poultry to is an ever-shifting landscape, with politics often playing a key role. Russia and China, for example, made up nearly 40 percent of broiler exports in 2009 but have since shut down U.S. trade in poultry, which is a top industry in Georgia and Hall County in particular. In 2015, Mexico was America’s leading trading partner, at nearly 22 percent, up from 10.4 percent in 2009, according to the Stone Mountain-based USA Poultry and Egg Export Council.
Poultry exports shift to Mexico, Cuba