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MDA Celebrates World Trade Month

MDA Celebrates World Trade Month

Export, trade and international mission news from the MDA

May 2018

The State of Minnesota promotes trade in many ways

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) offers food and agricultural producers, processors, and companies a host of export-related assistance. We regularly offer export education and seminars, provide market research, bring foreign buyers to Minnesota and the Midwest, support Minnesota companies at overseas tradeshows and on trade missions.

Partnerships are key to the work we do at the MDA.

We work with federal and nonprofit partners like the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service, Food Export Midwest, the Minnesota Trade Office, and state commodity organizations. We also welcome foreign professionals and experts through the Eisenhower and Cochran Fellows program to promote global networks and trade.

At the MDA, we will continue to work with our partners to grow agricultural exports and support our state’s many farmers, producers, processors, and agribusinesses.

(PHOTO: The MDA’s International Trade Representative Jeffrey Phillips presents at the Food Export Marketing Directors meeting in Chicago, April 2018.)

More from the MDA’s Marketing Team

Minnesota Agricultural Exports to China

The recent U.S.-China tariff dispute could potentially hurt Minnesota agricultural exports to China. Products like soybeans, pork, beef, wheat, corn, dried distiller’s grains (DDG), and ethanol could see tariff increases ranging from 15 to 25 percent.

China has been Minnesota’s top agricultural export market since 2010. Here are China’s rankings for some of Minnesota’s major commodities:

  • Number 1 in soybeans, dairy, feed, animal hides, and alfalfa;
  • Number 2 in hay;
  • Number 3 in poultry;
  • Number 4 in processed food, pork, and beef; and,
  • Number 5 in wheat.

Learn More

Regional Soy Innovation

In 2017, soybean production among North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota represented 20 percent of all U.S. soybean production! The Northern Crops Institute will explore new soy frontiers of this miracle crop in a course called INTSOY, designed to teach processing methods and innovative applications of soybean ingredients in meat, beverages, baking, snacks, traditional soy foods, and animal feed products. The week-long course begins in Minneapolis on August 20 and travels through farms and processing facilities in North and South Dakota. More information and registration are available online.

Did you know? Fish have hardy appetites for soy. The fastest-growing worldwide aquaculture industry depends on soy as a main protein ingredient in aqua feeds. According to the U.S. Soybean Export Council, 13,500,000 metric tons of soy products were used in aquaculture feed, with U.S. soy making up nearly 40 percent of that soy.

Minnesota Dairy Export Growth

Dairy is one of Minnesota’s fastest growing export commodities. From 2000 to 2017, Minnesota dairy exports from from $54 million to $251 million, nearly a fivefold increase. A global increase in dairy consumption and demand is behind much of the growth, and China is now Minnesota’s top dairy export market.

Minnesota Dairy Export Trend
(Million $)

*2017 preliminary

International Opportunities

Business Development Mission to South Africa

August 11-20, 2018

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development will lead a multi-sector mission to South Africa in August. This mission is open to food and agricultural organizations interested in exploring business opportunities in one of Africa’s largest economies. Companies interested in participating can contact Jeffrey Phillips at 651-201-6220.

Retail Food Export Opportunities in South Korea and Japan

Focused Trade Mission to South Korea 
November 5-6, 2018

Focused Trade Mission to Japan
November 8-9, 2018

Make plans to join the MDA in two of Minnesota’s top export markets for retail and specialty products during Food Export Midwest’s  Focused Trade Missions to Seoul, South Korea and Tokyo, Japan. The missions provide a low-cost way to understand the local food and retail settings and meet one-on-one with importers and distributors. The mission fee is just $400 per location. Visit both markets to receive each stop for only $325 each. The early registration deadline is July 13.

Source: Minnesota Department of Agriculture