The challenges and opportunities surrounding transportation of U.S. feed grains to end-users in countries around the world was the topic of conversation at Export Exchange 2018 Wednesday.

A panel of three grain transportation experts discussed issues facing the global grain trade and its shipping channels during Export Exchange.

Export Exchange is a biennial educational and trade forum for U.S. feed grains that will host attendees from both the U.S. and various countries organized into 21 USGC trade teams. The teams will meet with U.S. suppliers and get a chance to learn about current supply and demand for U.S. feed products.

Co-sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Export Exchange 2018 offers attendees an unparalleled opportunity to meet and build relationships with domestic suppliers of corn, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), sorghum, barley and other commodities.

“Export Exchange is an opportunity to demonstrate just how amazing the streamlined and efficient U.S. value chain is,” said Jim Stitzlein, USGC chairman. “We want to show potential buyers just how it allows grain grown on thousands of farms to be harvested, collected and commingled at elevators, then transported by barge or rail to terminal elevators, further combined, and then loaded for delivery to foreign destinations. We are absolutely committed to working with our international customers, drawing on our inherent strengths to get them what they want when they need it.”

After welcome remarks by Growth Energy Senior Vice President of Global Markets Craig Willis, attendees received a U.S. trade policy briefing from Dan Pearson, former chairman of the U.S International Trade Commission (ITC) and principal at Pearson International Trade Services.

Dan Pearson, former chairman of the U.S International Trade Commission (ITC) and principal at Pearson International Trade Services, provided a U.S. trade policy briefing at Export Exchange.

“There is reason for optimism. Reason will prevail over instinct and economics will win in the end,” Pearson told attendees. “U.S. agriculture will continue to be a reliable supplier of ag commodities over the long run to countries around the world. The world needs U.S. agriculture and the U.S. needs the world.”

Each speaker emphasized that the U.S. is open for business and ready to work with global partners around the world to meet the growing coarse grains and co-product needs of populations overseas.

“Biofuels are gaining popularity across the globe as more and more countries begin to adopt them as a way to combat emissions and keep fuel prices low for consumers,” Willis said. “The past 12 months have seen the highest amount of ethanol exports in history, and this year’s Export Exchange is the perfect place to tell our story and showcase the benefits that American-made ethanol and its co-products can bring to global marketplaces.”

Florentino Lopez, executive director of the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, also updated attendees on the outlook for U.S. sorghum. The balance of the meeting focused on trade programs and global grain transportation concerns.

“With U.S. DDGS exports shipped to five continents last year, transportation is an essential part of the conversation here at Export Exchange,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “We want to ensure our industry can deliver DDGS and other ethanol co-products to our current and new customers in the international market.”

Mark Slupek, deputy administrator, Office of Trade Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service addressed attendees on the Department’s perspective on trade programs and how they work in a changing trading environment.

“The message I want to bring to you today is American agriculture is open for business, and USDA is all in,” said Slupek. “We operate many foreign market development programs and they are about one thing – building relationships. We feel committed to our partnership with the U.S. Grains Council and the U.S. grains industry.”

The morning culminated with a panel discussion between three grain transportation experts regarding issues facing the global grain trade and its shipping channels.

The panel included Kelle Horn, vice president, Pacific Rim Shipbrokers, Inc. and Stephen Nothdurft, assistant vice president and Midwest regional manager, Hyundai Merchant Marine. Ken Ericksen, senior vice president, head of client advisory development at Informa Economics acted as moderator.

U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Tom Sleight closed the meeting, thanking attendees for their time and effort to attend and emphasizing the ties between U.S. agriculture and international customers.

“Meetings like Export Exchange make it very apparent why it is essential for us to keep the bonds between suppliers and partner countries,” he said. “The connections made here will not only propel our industry this year, but for years to come.”

More information is available at www.exportexchange.org or on social media at #ExEx18.

Please visit www.grains.org for more information about the Council.
For more information about RFA, visit www.ethanolrfa.org.
For more information about Growth Energy, visit www.growthenergy.org.

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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 13 key markets and representatives in an additional 15 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 online at www.grains.org.

About Growth Energy
Growth Energy represents producers and supporters of ethanol working to bring consumers better choices at the fuel pump, grow America’s economy and improve the environment for future generations. The organization’s national campaign – online at www.GetBiofuel.com – serves as the leading source of information for consumers seeking cleaner, more affordable fueling options. For more information on our organization, visit www.GrowthEnergy.org, follow on Twitter @GrowthEnergy, or connect on Facebook.

 About the Renewable Fuels Association
The Renewable Fuels Association is the leading trade association for America’s ethanol industry. Its mission is to advance the development, production, and use of ethanol fuel by strengthening America’s ethanol industry and raising awareness about the benefits of renewable fuels. RFA’s members are working to help America become cleaner, safer, more energy independent and economically secure. For more information, visit EthanolRFA.org.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. grains experts were laser focused on the outlook for U.S. corn and its co-products – highlighting the importance of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) – at Export Exchange 2018 in Minneapolis today.

Export Exchange is a biennial educational and trade forum for U.S. feed grains that will host attendees from both the U.S. and various countries organized into 21 U.S. Grains Council (USGC) trade teams. Both teams will meet with U.S. suppliers and get a chance to learn about current supply and demand for U.S. feed products.

Keynote speaker Roger Watchorn, group leader at Cargill Agriculture Supply Chain North America, spoke to Export Exchange attendees about the advantages of North America as a supplier.

Co-sponsored by the USGC, Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Export Exchange 2018 offers attendees an unparalleled opportunity to meet and build relationships with domestic suppliers of corn, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), sorghum, barley and other commodities.

“The U.S. DDGS market is once again on the rise in various parts of the world,” said Tom Sleight, USGC president and chief executive officer. “Not only are we seeing increases of DDGS purchases in the Western Hemisphere – in Mexico and Canada – but we’re also seeing increases in countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and India. Highlighting the importance and versatility of U.S. DDGS at Export Exchange only makes sense.”

After welcome remarks by USGC Chairman Jim Stitzlein and the USDA’s Associate Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service Daniel Whitley, attendees heard from Export Exchange keynote speaker Roger Watchorn, group leader at Cargill Agriculture Supply Chain North America.

“North America continues to be a leader in production technologies and a major player in global trade,” said Watchorn. “One in seven people worldwide depend on global trade for their basic food needs. We connect farmers with those who need our products around the world. North America is unrivaled in optionality and supply chain efficiencies and we are ready to meet those needs.”

To round out the morning, the USDA’s Chief Economist Dr. Robert Johansson shared with attendees the USDA’s 10-year outlook on feed grains’ production, supply and distribution.

The afternoon was devoted to one feed grain co-product in particular – DDGS – with speakers including Tyson Foods Poultry Nutritionist Philip Smith, ProExporter Senior Analyst Bill Holbrook, Renewable Fuels Association Regulatory Affairs Vice President Kelly Davis and Distillers Grains Technology Council’s Executive Director Kurt Rosentrater covering poultry nutrition, export challenges and opportunities, food safety regulations and new products including pelleting, high protein versions and advancing technologies.

“DDGS and other ethanol co-products provide a value-added market for the U.S. ethanol industry,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “DDGS exports last year were shipped to 50 countries on five continents, and with upwards of 21 countries represented here at Export Exchange, this is an ideal platform to connect buyers and sellers to meet.”

Throughout the meeting, international attendees – composed of grain buyers from more than 35 countries – are encouraged to meet with U.S. sellers via an exhibit hall experience called Export Exchange Expo open throughout the conference. It is here that trades between end-users and U.S. sellers occur.

The conference runs through Wednesday at the Minneapolis Hilton. More information is available at www.exportexchange.org or on social media at #ExEx18.

Please visit www.grains.org for more information about the Council.
For more information about RFA, visit www.ethanolrfa.org.
For more information about Growth Energy, visit www.growthenergy.org.

Contact:
Bryan Jernigan, U.S. Grains Council, bjernigan@grains.org
Rachel Gantz, Renewable Fuels Association, rgantz@ethanolrfa.org
Leigh Claffey, Growth Energy, lclaffey@growthenergy.org

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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 13 key markets and representatives in an additional 15 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 online at www.grains.org.

About Growth Energy
Growth Energy represents producers and supporters of ethanol working to bring consumers better choices at the fuel pump, grow America’s economy and improve the environment for future generations. The organization’s national campaign – online at www.GetBiofuel.com – serves as the leading source of information for consumers seeking cleaner, more affordable fueling options. For more information on our organization, visit www.GrowthEnergy.org, follow on Twitter @GrowthEnergy, or connect on Facebook.

 About the Renewable Fuels Association
The Renewable Fuels Association is the leading trade association for America’s ethanol industry. Its mission is to advance the development, production, and use of ethanol fuel by strengthening America’s ethanol industry and raising awareness about the benefits of renewable fuels. RFA’s members are working to help America become cleaner, safer, more energy independent and economically secure. For more information, visit EthanolRFA.org.

Two teams of feed grain industry importers – from South America and China – are in Minneapolis for Export Exchange before heading to the southern United States to meet with suppliers and exporters of U.S. corn, its co-products and sorghum.

Export Exchange is a biennial educational and trade forum for U.S. feed grains that will host approximately 200 international buyers and end-users organized into 21 USGC trade teams. Both teams will meet with U.S. suppliers and get a chance to learn about current supply and demand for U.S. feed products.

The Council is working with the teams in cooperation with the United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP).

“We are excited to host the upcoming trade teams and grow our network at Export Exchange 2018 as sorghum exports have represented a large portion of the U.S. sorghum marketplace over the last few years,” said Florentino Lopez, Sorghum Checkoff executive director. “The Sorghum Checkoff is dedicated to building strong relationships between buyers and sellers, resulting in continued sorghum sales.”

Export Exchange is sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy, allowing these buyers to meet with U.S. sellers of corn, sorghum, barley, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), corn gluten meal and corn gluten feed.

“At a time when the U.S is looking to create new trade agreements, highlighting the importance of international trade can be no better illustrated than by Export Exchange and the trade team visits before and after the event,” said Tom Sleight, USGC president and chief executive officer.

“It is essential for us to strengthen the bonds between suppliers and partner countries, and the connections made at this critical event will not only help propel our industry this year, but for years to come.”

In addition to networking opportunities, these attendees traveling to Export Exchange will be briefed on the global supply and demand situation, transportation issues and challenges, the global grains outlook, new advances in DDGS and poultry, food safety regulations, and agribusiness, the current U.S. policy environment and more.

Export Exchange also highlights the importance of strong trade policy and market development to U.S. agriculture. The Council, in partnership with USCP, works in more than 50 countries and the European Union to market U.S. grains and their related products and build long-term demand from loyal customers.

After Export Exchange, the South American team will visit Louisiana and Texas and the Chinese team will visit Missouri and Arkansas to learn more about the U.S. marketing system for feed grains and co-products and for specialized crop tours of the 2018 corn harvest.

Over the course of their trade team activities, the members of the South American delegation will visit export facilities in New Orleans and an ethanol plant and corn and sorghum farms Texas. The Chinese delegation will visit corn and sorghum farms in Missouri, Arkansas and Texas as well as an ethanol plant, local elevators and transloading facilities. While visiting Export Exchange and these respective states, individuals on the teams have opportunities to directly do business and make connections to facilitate future sales.

This work is a critical piece of market development programs operated by the Council in more than 50 global markets, with funding from organizations like USCP, the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program in the U.S. farm bill.

“Our growers need the farm bill to cross the finish line as momentum is vital in farming and markets,” said Wayne Cleveland, Texas Grain Sorghum Producers executive director. “Farmers need to know the farm program rules for financing and planning intentions going forward, and continual funding of MAP and FMD are key to increasing market opportunities.”

More information on Export Exchange 2018 is available at www.exportexchange.org. More from the U.S. Grains Council is at www.grains.org.

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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 13 key markets and representatives in an additional 15 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 online at www.grains.org.

About the United Sorghum Checkoff Program
The United Sorghum Checkoff Program is a producer-funded organization that is dedicated to improving the sorghum industry through research, promotion and education. For more information about the USCP and other research projects please visit www.sorghumcheckoff.com.

More than 200 international buyers and end-users of coarse grains and co-products from upwards of 35 countries are arriving in Minneapolis for Export Exchange 2018, ready to meet with U.S. suppliers and service providers across the value chain.

Export Exchange is a biennial educational and trade forum for U.S. feed grains that will host attendees from both the U.S. and various countries organized into 21 U.S. Grains Council (USGC) trade teams. Attendees will meet with U.S. suppliers and get a chance to learn about current supply and demand for U.S. feed products.

Co-sponsored by the USGC, Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Export Exchange 2018 offers attendees an unparalleled opportunity to meet and build relationships with domestic suppliers of corn, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), sorghum, barley and other commodities.

“The excitement in Minneapolis during this high-profile event is palpable. This is a prime opportunity for U.S. grain suppliers to meet with interested buyers and do real business,” said Jim Stitzlein, USGC chairman. “This meeting dovetails at a critical time when the Administration has announced its intention to move ahead on forging new free trade agreements with partner countries around the world interested in what we have to offer.”

Export Exchange highlights the importance of strong trade policy and market development to U.S. agriculture. In addition to networking opportunities, Export Exchange attendees will be briefed on the global supply and demand situation, transportation issues and challenges, the global grains outlook, new advances in DDGS and poultry, food safety regulations, agribusiness, the current U.S. policy environment and more.

“This year’s Export Exchange is an exciting and timely opportunity to share with attendees the important role ethanol and its coproducts, like DDGS, play in countries across the globe and in supporting agriculture,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “We hope that as folks connect, they have the opportunity to learn more from us about the many benefits of ethanol and how biofuels are blazing new trails in the international marketplace.”

While visiting Export Exchange, individuals on the teams have opportunities to directly do business and make connections to facilitate future sales.

“This is our fifth Export Exchange conference and it’s being held at an incredibly important time for the U.S. ethanol industry,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Trade is vital to our industry, and nearly one of our every three tons of DDGS produced last year was exported. We’re looking forward to another great event where producers and marketers of DDGS and other co-products can connect with global customers.”

The conference runs through Wednesday at the Minneapolis Hilton. More information is available at www.exportexchange.org or on social media at #ExEx18.

Please visit www.grains.org for more information about the Council.
For more information about RFA, visit www.ethanolrfa.org.
For more information about Growth Energy, visit www.growthenergy.org.

Contact:
Bryan Jernigan, U.S. Grains Council, bjernigan@grains.org
Rachel Gantz, Renewable Fuels Association, rgantz@ethanolrfa.org
Leigh Claffey, Growth Energy, lclaffey@growthenergy.org

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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 13 key markets and representatives in an additional 15 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 online at www.grains.org.

About Growth Energy
Growth Energy represents producers and supporters of ethanol working to bring consumers better choices at the fuel pump, grow America’s economy and improve the environment for future generations. The organization’s national campaign – online at www.GetBiofuel.com – serves as the leading source of information for consumers seeking cleaner, more affordable fueling options. For more information on our organization, visit www.GrowthEnergy.org, follow on Twitter @GrowthEnergy, or connect on Facebook.

 About the Renewable Fuels Association
The Renewable Fuels Association is the leading trade association for America’s ethanol industry. Its mission is to advance the development, production, and use of ethanol fuel by strengthening America’s ethanol industry and raising awareness about the benefits of renewable fuels. RFA’s members are working to help America become cleaner, safer, more energy independent and economically secure. For more information, visit EthanolRFA.org.