As the 2013 fiscal year of the American agriculture will end Sept 30, China is believed to beat Canada again as America's number one agro-export destination.

However, Chinese state news paper Xinhua news agency Friday reported that U.S. agricultural export to China may shrink to $ 22 billion, down $1.4 billion from last year's record.

Despite the drought, Chief Economist of U.S. Department of Agriculture, Joseph Glauber, Thursday said that the American outlook for agricultural exports in 2013 would remain strong and hit record high.

Citing the chief economist's comment, Xinhua reported that returns for the U.S. agro-export was expected to be at $ 142 billion, down $3 billion from the 2012 November forecast.

Overall, the export record is believed to remain $6.2 above fiscal year 2012.

According to the chief economist, Chinese market for the U.S. annual agriculture export had increased on an average of almost 20 percent since 2005.

Around 75 percent of U.S. soybeans and cottons were exported to China in recent years.

Because of the drought that reportedly hit many parts of the country, Brazil is speculated to beat the U.S. as world's number one corn exporter in 2013, according to Xinhua news agency.

As of February 12, Xinhua reported about 56 percent of the country continued to remain in drought conditions.

China last year replaced the UK as Canada's number two trade export destination.

Canadian goods exports to China last year increased 15 percent to $19.3 billion while its exports to the UK fell nearly one percent to $ 18.6 billion, reported the Globe and Mail.

Canada's over all trade export fell down nearly one percent but its exports to China have been doubled between 2008 and 2012.

Canadian Trade minister Ed Fast is scheduled to visit China and Japan in April.

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