The mantra for the last few years in Ag trade has been, ?don?t put all your eggs in one basket.? While we have had a diversified group of trading partners, the recent trade war with China showed us the importance of this diversification. China may be our largest customer, but they aren?t the only one that keeps supporting American farmers. Having updated trade agreements and touching base with existing customers goes a long way to keep our goods moving around the globe.
One of the places we have had a shaky relationship in the past years is with the European Union. They have put parameters to limit GMO grains and which products they will tolerate on the grains they buy. This has caused a rift with the United States. However, as weather conditions and Russia?s invasion of Ukraine have progressed, the EU is looking at the United States to help fill the voids in their supply. Therefore, it is so important for the United States Department of Agriculture?s Foreign Ag Service (FAS) to continue meeting one on one with individual countries in the European economic block.
The FAS just went to Madrid, Spain to showcase what we can bring to their consumers. FAS Associate Administrator Clay Hamilton led the mission and talked about why it is important to conduct these trade missions.
Hamilton says that the goal is to strengthen the relationships across the Atlantic and cultivate new relationships as well.
The participants of these trade missions are coming away with large numbers of new contacts from overseas.
Of course, you can?t have a government trade mission without talking about current policies. Hamilton says he had some meaningful conversations with Spanish trade officials.
You can learn more about what the USDA FAS is doing by visiting their website.
