The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will be hosting its fourth annual trade mission to China from November 8 through 12, the department announced yesterday. The mission will be traveling to Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shanghai.
The purpose of the mission is “to better understand the Chinese market and meet with qualified Chinese buyers,” according to a statement from the MDARD. It will include briefings from U.S. Department of Agriculture officials, retail tours and meetings with buyers. Cost to participate is $750, and companies are responsible for hotel, flight and meal costs.
China is Michigan’s fifth-largest export for agriculture products, and $124 million worth of products was exported there in 2018. An expanding economy, rising disposable income and a population of 1.4 billion are driving demand for U.S. products, according to a statement from the MDARD. China’s economy has an annual GDP growth of around six percent.
To request more information or to register for the mission, visit the event page here. Registration ends September 4.
The Food Exportation of the Midwest is conducting a similar mission to Seoul, South Korea, from November 6 to November 7. The trip includes meetings with buyers, a retail store tour and table top showcase.
The organization cites socioeconomic shifts in Korea as a reason for an increase in products that they say offer “good value, high quality, health [and] nutritional benefits, new taste and convenience.”
Registration ends August 16 and costs $600. A complete list of products of interest is available on the Food Exportation of the Midwest’s website. The mission is hosted in collaboration with the Organic Trade Association.
The Food Exportation of the Midwest is also offering services at the Food and Hotel China 2019 trade show in Shanghai, China from November 11 to November 14. Visit their site here for more information.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with Battleground State News and The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @jordynpair. Email her at [email protected].
Photo “Michigan Department of Agriculture” by Michigan Department of Agriculture.
