The United States is the world's largest wheat exporter and is second only to China in total wheat production. However, the value and volume of U.S. exports and its share of the world wheat market have declined sharply since 1981. The Economic Research Service held a Wheat Competitiveness Conference in June 1986, concentrating on key factors affecting changes in U.S. wheat trade. The 23 papers presented at the conference focused on wheat production, marketing, and consumption in the United States and its four major competitors (France, Argentina, Canada, and Australia) and on six major importers (Mexico, Brazil, USSR, Eastern Europe, North Africa, and China). Those papers are summarized here.