USDA Foreign Agricultural Service,update

 

The following GAIN reports were released on February 23-24, 2026. _______   Bulgaria: Tree Nut Market Update The Bulgarian tree nut market expanded rapidly in marketing year (MY) 2024/25, and the MY 2025/26 forecast is optimistic. There was a significant boost in consumption and trade, driven by both retail sales and the confectionary industry. Decreasing food inflation, improving incomes, and strong development in tourism/travel supported consumption growth. Domestic production increased to meet dynamic demand but still had a small market share. Expectations for MY 2025/26 are for lower local supply and higher imports while consumption is projected to maintain its gradual increase. In MY 2024/25, the United States maintained its leading role as a key supplier, with double digit growth in Bulgarian imports of U.S. tree nuts to about $20 million, or a 43-percent growth over MY 2023/24 ($14 million). However, U.S. exporters are facing increasing competition from price-competitive imports of walnuts (Ukraine and the People’s Republic of China) and of peanuts (Argentina and Nicaragua).   European Union: EU Proposes to Reduce MRLs to Limit of Quantification for Pesticides on Imported Products through Food and Feed Omnibus Package On December 16, 2025, the European Commission published its draft Food & Feed Omnibus proposal amending, amongst others, Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 on Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs). In the proposal, the Commission seeks to set residue levels for non-EU-approved pesticides at the “limit of quantification,” effectively a zero-tolerance level, which could impact U.S. exports of soybeans, corn, tree nuts, and other products that make up over $5.4 billion in annual exports to the EU.   Ghana: USMEF and FAS Accra Serve Up Tasty American Beef from Nebraska - Ghana's Chefs and Restauranteurs Want More American Beef FAS Accra (Post) with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), debuted an unprecedented and spectacular selection of mouthwatering cuts of U.S.-origin beef (January 13-14, 2026). Post's after-action analysis estimates, that through this type of commercial diplomacy outreach effort, $250,000 to $300,000 in new U.S. beef and varietal meats potentially can roll onto Ghana's plates over the next 6-12 months. Straight from the American heartland, in support of our farmers and ranchers, we plated some of Nebraska's finest Omaha steaks, including always crowd pleasers briskets, sirloins, ribeye and T-bone steaks, thanks to the Nebraska Beef Council's generous donation of the cuts.   Ghana: USMEF and FAS Accra Serve Up Tasty American Beef from Nebraska - Ghana's Chefs and Restauranteurs Want More American Beef FAS Accra (Post) with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), debuted an unprecedented and spectacular selection of mouthwatering cuts of U.S.-origin beef (January 13-14, 2026). Post's after-action analysis estimates, that through this type of commercial diplomacy outreach effort, $250,000 to $300,000 in new U.S. beef and varietal meats potentially can roll onto Ghana's plates over the next 6-12 months. Straight from the American heartland, in support of our farmers and ranchers, we plated some of Nebraska's finest Omaha steaks, including always crowd pleasers briskets, sirloins, ribeye and T-bone steaks, thanks to the Nebraska Beef Council's generous donation of the cuts.   India: Livestock and Products Semi-annual India’s CY 2026 cattle and water buffalo inventory is forecast at 307.5 million head, largely unchanged from the previous year on expected higher slaughter driven by steady export demand for buffalo meat (carabeef) from the traditional middle east and South Asian markets. CY 2026 carabeef production forecast is raised to 4.73 million metric tons (MMT) carcass weight equivalent (CWE) and exports projected higher at 1.7 MMT CWE on steady export demand and competitive price of Indian carabeef due to the weak Indian rupee. CY 2025 carabeef production and export estimates have also been increased to 4.68 MMT CWE and 1.69 MMT CWE, respectively, due to the strong surge in exports in major markets.   Thailand: FAIRS Country Report Annual This report is an overview and update of Thailand’s import regulations and standards for food and agricultural imports. For more information on Thailand’s certification requirements, see the FAIRS Export Certificate Report for Thailand.   Turkey: Poultry Export Ban Stresses Turkish Producers As in years past, Turkiye's Ministry of Trade has enacted an export ban on poultry products as the country enters the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. This action will lead to uncertainty for Turkish poultry producers who rely on export markets to bolster profits throughout the year, while providing an opportunity for reliable competitors to provide a more stable supply. For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.