Council Releases Updated Importers Manual

image of the importer manual title pageWant to learn more about importing U.S. grains? The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) has just the resource – the Importer Manual. The manual was recently updated for the first time since 2004.

The Importer Manual was created to provide the Council’s international customers with a comprehensive resource on how to properly import U.S. grains. The manual also provides additional resources and importer stakeholder information to better serve the organization’s members and international buyers.

“Enabling trade is an integral part of the U.S. Grains Council’s mission, and that’s exactly what the importer manual is set to accomplish,” said Sadie Marks, USGC manager of global programs. “The new edition of the manual dives deeper into important topics and highlights our membership, which represents the full U.S. export industry, to create a seamless and transparent guide for our international buyers to purchase U.S. grains.”

The manual is comprised of 14 chapters, each covering a different topic in ensuring the successful importation of U.S. grains. The chapters are as follows:

  1. U.S. Grains – Commodity Descriptions
  2. Food, Seed and Industrial Uses for Grains
  3. How to Procure and Purchase U.S. Grain and Grain Co-products
  4. Grain Quality – U.S. Grades and Standards
  5. U.S. Grain Exports and Trade Flows
  6. Shipping Terms – FAS, FOB, C&F, CIF
  7. Ocean Freight and Transportation
  8. Payment and Financing of U.S. Grains
  9. Price Discovery and Cash Markets
  10. Derivative Markets
  11. Market Analysis
  12. Price Risk Management and Hedging in U.S. Grain Markets
  13. How to Become “Import Ready”
  14. List of Resources

The new version has been significantly revised by expanding the depth of information, updating current resources and creating additional chapters, including hedging, derivative markets and the historical perspective behind U.S. grain exports and trade flows. Chapter three provides a link to the Council’s full membership directory, which represents the grain export system in its entirety, a valuable resource for international buyers.

The full document is downloadable on grains.org.

View the Importer Manual.