WASHINGTON, D.C. — An 11-member team of grain buyers from Japan will be in the United States on Oct. 11-18 to get a firsthand look at domestic corn production and the logistics of U.S. agriculture exports. This contingent is one of 21 groups with participants from over 50 countries that have traveled to the United States for the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC) marquee event, Export Exchange.
Export Exchange is a biennial educational and trade forum for U.S. feed grains that hosts nearly 500 international buyers, importers and domestic suppliers. This year’s edition was held in Minneapolis from Oct. 12-14.
Japan has been one of U.S. agriculture’s strongest business partners for decades, built on the bedrock of corn trade. U.S. market share for corn in Japan is above 70 percent, a win for both U.S. producers and end-users in Japan that is the result of the relationships, trust and loyalty the Council has helped foster over the past half-century.
“The Japanese agriculture industry has a long history of working with U.S. growers to get the best product on the market at the right price for consumers,” said Tommy Hamamoto, USGC Director in Japan. “Export Exchange is an opportunity to ensure that the outstanding friendship between Japanese and U.S. agribusinesses continues well into the future.”
The team visits a DDGS transloading site in Minnesota.
The team, consisting of representatives from leading Japanese grain importing companies, arrived in Minneapolis on Tuesday in preparation for Export Exchange and took a tour of a local distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) transloading facility on Wednesday.
The group will depart for North Dakota on Oct. 15, and a meeting with the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council on Oct. 16 will set the table for a pair of visits to local farms and tour of a nearby grain elevator. Finally, the team will get the chance to see a grain production operation, a dairy farm and a corn and cattle research facility on Oct. 17.
“Our trade team participants always walk away with a fresh perspective on the agricultural value chain and a renewed appreciation for U.S. farmers,” Hamamoto said. “Likewise, it’s invigorating to hear from our hosts in the United States about how much they are able to learn about the needs and preferences of end-users from around the world.”
More information about future Export Exchange programs will be made available online at www.exportexchange.org and content from the event and its accompanying trade teams can be found on the Council’s social media pages (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) and using the hashtag #ExEx22. Those interested can sign up for a mailing list to automatically receive conference updates by emailing .
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About the U.S. Grains Council
The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. With full-time presence in 28 locations, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture’s profitability. Detailed information about the Council and its programs is available online at www.grains.org.
