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USDA looking to build on trade mission success

USDA is looking to build on its success with trade missions this year by planning more in 2019.

Undersecretary for Trade Ted McKinney says the estimated value of six trips over the past 11 months is $140 million in new sales.

“We’re certainly happy.  We like the results a lot.”

McKinney has announced seven major trade missions for next year: Taiwan, Columbia, Vietnam, Kenya, the U.K., Canada, and Mexico.

He says there’s a possibility of adding more, and that USDA Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue and Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky would like to be involved.

“We’re still sorting out which of those might be, but they wanted to get in on the act and we said bring it on.  The more the merrier.”

More than 200 U.S. companies were involved in trade missions organized by USDA in 2018.

 

*Audio courtesy of USDA*