Coarse grains customers from around the world are heading toward Seattle, Washington, for the biennial Export Exchange, scheduled for Oct. 20 to 22.

Sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), the conference will include educational sessions and networking opportunities to help buyers and sellers deepen their relationships and set the stage for business in the coming year.

Trade teams from 30 top destinations for U.S. corn, barley, sorghum and their co-products, including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), will participate in the event, along with U.S. suppliers and agribusiness representatives from more than 100 organizations.

Overseas participants are scheduled from the following countries:
• Algeria
• Bangladesh
• Canada
• China
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• Indonesia
• Ireland
• Israel
• Japan
• Jordan
• Korea
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Morocco
• Nepal
• Peru
• Philippines
• Portugal
• Saudi Arabia
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Venezuela
• Vietnam

The conference will also feature dynamic speakers on the most important issues to today’s marketplace, including:
• The Global Agricultural Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities – Curtis Jones, Global Director of Economic Analysis, Bunge Global Agribusiness
• Shipping and Transportation Outlook: Bulk Freight and Container Panel – Peter Borup, President, Lauritzen Bulkers and Matthew Hill, General Manager, Maersk
• The Evolving Politics and Policy for Agriculture – Bob Dinneen, President and CEO, RFA
• The Transition in Agriculture and Global Financial Markets – Terry Barr, Senior Director, Knowledge Exchange Division, CoBank, ACB
• Agriculture Innovation and Market Access – Howard Minigh, President and CEO, CropLife International

Export Exchange will also include several sessions on the short-term and long-term supply and demand dynamics of all U.S. coarse grains and co-products like DDGS. More about Export Exchange 2014, including all speakers and registration details for those making last-minute plans, can be found at www.exportexchange.org. Information specifically for the media will be provided during the event on that website, and social media posts about the event will be marked with the hashtag #ExEx14.