Expanding Export Markets is Aim of 2019 USDA Trade Missions
The Department of Agriculture has announced that in 2019 it will sponsor trade missions to the following locations.
- Taipei, Taiwan (March 11-14)
- Montreal and Toronto, Canada (April 2-5)
- Bogota, Colombia (June 3-6), to include buyers from Panama
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Oct. 14-17), to include buyers from Burma and Thailand
- Nairobi, Kenya (Oct. 28-31), to include buyers from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda
- Mexico City (Nov. 5-8)
- London (TBD)
Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney said these countries represent “the best prospects” to expand markets for U.S. agricultural goods. According to press sources, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said this effort aims to reduce the dependence of U.S. farmers on China, which has curtailed purchases of U.S. farm goods in retaliation for the Section 232 and 301 tariff increases the U.S. has imposed on Chinese products this year.