U.S. Exporters Build New Partnerships During Ag Trade Mission to Japan
June started off on a high note at the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, with the USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor leading the U.S. delegation on an agribusiness trade mission to Japan on June 5–9.
«Leading a trade mission is always a great honor and I was very pleased to showcase the quality and diversity of U.S. food and agricultural products,» said Taylor. «This delegation was incredibly robust, bringing together representatives from 11 state departments of agriculture, 11 cooperators, a representative from the Western U. S. Agricultural Trade Association, and a diverse group of U.S. exporters looking to establish new business partnerships with Japanese importers.»
While in Japan, Under Secretary Taylor met with leadership from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry; and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. United States and Japan enjoy a strong bilateral trade relationship and these meetings allowed the two sides to discuss strengthening this relationship even further, expanding biofuels export markets, and strengthening food safety.
Throughout the week, the participants learned about Japanese consumers and how to do business in Japan. More than 400 business-to-business meetings were held, providing U.S. exporters with opportunities to establish strong connections with their new business partners in Japan. Companies that joined this trade mission provided a strong display of strength and breadth of U.S. food and agriculture industries, showcasing products including grains, pork, fruit, berries, coffee, tea, and distilled spirits.
«Over the years we have found that the trade mission format is very beneficial and is a great use of time and resources,» said Jake Robinson, an Intertribal Agricultural Council member, who represented products from Red Lake, Inc., owned by the Red Lake Nation. «Trade missions are vital events for increasing our export footprint and provide excellent opportunities to get a comprehensive market analysis, develop key relationships with buyers, and work directly with FAS staff.»
«This program helped us connect with people interested in our products, making the whole process much easier and simpler,» said Carolyn Crotzer, a co-owner of Hawaiian Viking Coffee. This was the first trade mission for the company. «Multiple companies have already said that they want to work with us, and I am blown away by the response we are getting and how fast everything is getting processed.»
This was the third agribusiness trade mission organized by FAS in 2023. The agency is also planning a trade mission to Chile in September, Malaysia in October, and Angola in December.
