In a Pickle to Export Food Products?
American food companies who want to export can draw from a wide range of export assistance providers. For food exporters, the question is not IF someone can help them, but rather how to navigate the many different services and providers who stand ready to assist with a wide range of services. The U.S. Commercial Service and its Rural Export Center collaborate closely with the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the 4 State Regional Trade Groups, State Departments of Agriculture, Commodity Associations, and State Trade Offices, all who have a range of services to directly support America’s food exporters. The Rural Export Center’s RAISE (Rural America’s Intelligence Service for Exporters) brings together market intelligence, contacts, and expertise from as many export assistance providers as possible to deliver a comprehensive action plan for exporters who seek to do market research prior to approaching markets.
The federally supported agriculture trade groups often collaborate and hand off projects and do joint presentations and webinars to get the word out about the many avenues of export assistance available to agriculture exporters. Below is a guide to help you navigate federal resources available to food export companies:
Key Services of Federally Supported Food Export Service Providers
| Description of agency | Overview of core services | |
|---|---|---|
| US Department of Agriculture (USDA) / Foreign Agricultural Service | U.S. Government’s primary agriculture export assistance agency | Global network of policy analysts, GAIN Reports with market updates on key commodities, Advocacy for trade barrier reduction, among other services |
| USDA / Market Access Program (MAP) |
Shares the cost of overseas marketing and promotional activities for approved export promotion organizations | Market access, promotion of U.S. goods, cost-share assistance for export activities |
| USDA / Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) | Serving bulk commodities, manage Checkoff programs for specific ag / food products | Commodity-specific research and policy work, import/export certificates |
| State Regional Trade Groups 1) Food Export Northeast 2) Food Export Midwest 3) SUSTA (southern US) 4) WUSATA (western US) |
Federally funded regional trade groups that serve companies based on geographic location | Branded products promotion, export promotion grants, trade missions, reverse buyer missions |
| U.S. Department of Commerce / International Trade Administration / U.S. Commercial Service | Primary export assistance agency of the US government with overseas offices in over 80 countries and domestic offices in over 100 U.S. cities | Customized matchmaking services to find international business partners, trade counseling, advocacy, wide range of B2B and B2G assistance services |
| Rural Export Center / RAISE Reports | A division of the U.S. Commercial Service focused on market research | In depth, customized market research identifying the top countries and top potential buyers in specified countries |
| State Trade Offices / State Departments of Agriculture | Varies by state | Significant variation from state to state, but there are often staff, trade missions and grants available for food exporters |
Case Studies – Food Exporters Using the Rural Export Center to Develop Their Strategies
Healthy Food Ingredients (HFI), an organic and healthy products food exporter based in Fargo, North Dakota, was very familiar with the food export assistance agencies, and when considering where to go next, it saw a benefit in using the Rural Export Center’s RAISE Report to identify the best markets. After the REC ranked 193 countries using 30 data indicators, the team contacted six FAS offices for their on-the-ground feedback. Based on the combined data, HFI chose three countries for in-depth industry analysis. The final report recommended arranging calls with in-country FAS staff, attending a Food Export Midwest trade show and an FAS-endorsed food trade show in Australia, and attending an FAS webinar on exporting to the United Kingdom.
Tara Froemming, Marketing Coordinator for HFI stated,
“[…] the RAISE program has been an important supplement to our strong relationships we’ve enjoyed working with other partners such as FAS, SRTGs (State Regional Trade Groups), commodity groups, and our State Trade Office.”
Many experienced food exporters mix and match services to meet their individual needs. When Monica Lee, with Route66 International based in New Jersey, approached The Rural Export Center she was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information and the potential avenues for action. Working closely with the local Northern NJ U.S. Commercial Service (CS) Office, Lee connected with the Rural Export Center, and the FAS and CS offices in Canada and Germany to provide comprehensive market research and to find potential partners. After seeing the benefits of the REC’s research, Monica asked the REC to conduct additional research, with a Matrix and six additional Country Reports.
After the research was presented, Monica stated,
“From start to finish, the support and services we received from the U.S. Commercial Service and the USDA’s FAS were extraordinary. […] During the whole process, the REC team worked closely with FAS in each country we chose to provide us with the most complete information and a seamless transition to our next action steps. During the final presentation, the REC impressed me by inviting specialists from each country to speak with us on the call. It is reassuring to know that I have the support of the Commercial Service and FAS in every aspect.”
Photo courtesy of WUSATA.
Following the project, Monica Lee registered and attended a FAS agricultural trade mission to Spain in November 2022.
Another example of collaboration is when the partners worked together to support a North Carolina company that wanted to pursue new markets for its dessert product. The REC conducted a Matrix that ranked countries as top markets, and then FAS and SUSTA (Southern U.S. Trade Association) were instrumental in connecting the company to potential buyers through multiple trade show and trade mission opportunities including SIAL China, a China Inbound Virtual Trade Mission to North Carolina, and a China Outbound Trade Mission.
There is a wealth of data and knowledge within USDA’s FAS.
“FAS is a trade agency. In addition to our Washington, D.C., staff , FAS has a global network of nearly 100 offices covering approximately 180 countries. All FAS staff are eager to provide practical solutions, and work to advance export opportunities for U.S. agriculture and support U.S. foreign policy around the globe. We work to remove trade barriers and enforce U.S. rights under existing trade agreements,” said JP Passino, Global Engagement Executive at FAS. “We partner with stakeholders and more than 70 cooperator groups representing a cross-section of the U.S. food and agricultural industry and manage a toolkit of trade promotion programs to help U.S. exporters develop and maintain markets for hundreds of products. FAS analysts in Washington and around the globe provide objective intelligence on foreign market conditions, prepare production forecasts, assess export opportunities, and track changes in policies affecting U.S. agricultural exports and imports.”
Who should food exporters approach first? The most important thing for food exporters to know is that there is no wrong door, so exporters can approach any of the food export partners listed in the table above, and the team collaborates closely on the ground to serve the U.S. exporters’ needs. The Rural Export Center and all the federally supported partners look forward to assisting U.S. food exporters in their efforts to connect with potential partners globally.