A team of New Zealand government officials recently traveled to Iowa, Louisiana and Washington, D.C., to study the U.S. grain export system and to explore ways to streamline their protocols to allow more U.S. corn exports to New Zealand.
While New Zealand is not traditionally a large market for U.S. corn, buyers from that country did purchase more than 142,000 metric tons (5.59 million bushels) of U.S. corn valued at $34 million during the 2014/2015 marketing year.
The country is also a potential growth market as a signatory to the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. TPP is intended to create standardized trade rules across 40 percent of the world’s economy and establish rapid-response mechanisms to quickly resolve sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues that may emerge.
Ahead of the agreement being ratified and new standards going into effect, the visiting New Zealand officials wanted to examine and learn about the U.S. phytosanitary certification process.
The team’s visit included a short course at Iowa State University focused on U.S. seed production techniques and methods to determine plant health. They also stopped at the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) office in Louisiana for a briefing on the U.S. grain inspection system.
In addition, the group saw a corn farm, rail facilities and an export facility to understand the entire grain marketing chain. The team’s visit to the United States concluded at the Council’s Washington, D.C., headquarters for a market briefing.
“We were happy to host this team from New Zealand, a small but growing corn market,� said USGC Senior Director of Global Strategies Kurt Shultz, who met with the group.
“The team was particularly impressed by the working relationship between USDA and the Council to address trade issues. The private and public sector engagement was evident to the team on their stops throughout the United States.�
The team left with follow-up plans to work with the Council’s office in Kuala Lumpur to host a joint seminar in New Zealand promoting trade between the United States and their home country.
More information about TPP is available from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Trade Benefits America Coalition.