Using Market Access Program (MAP) funds, the U.S. Grains Council hosted an eight-member team of corn and distiller’s dried grains with solubes (DDGS) buyers from Taiwan to Michigan, Missouri and Kentucky in the fall of 2016. In addition to participating in the Export Exchange 2016 program, the team visited corn farms, ethanol/DDGS plants, grain elevators, grain traders and a life science company. The major purpose of this program was to promote U.S. feed grain exports to Taiwan.

Export Exchange 2016 offered attendees a unique opportunity to meet and build relationships with domestic suppliers of corn, DDGS, sorghum, barley and other commodities. More than 200 international buyers and end-users of coarse grains and co-products from more than 35 countries along with 180 U.S. industry participants were in Detroit for the conference.

A survey of the Taiwanese team members upon conclusion of the program revealed that team members were negotiating or had bought 86,500 metric tons of corn, 3,500 metric tons of DDGS, and 300 metric tons of corn gluten meal, with a combined export value of $15.8 million. The Council invested $80,000 of MAP funds in support of this marketing program, generating a total return on investment (ROI) of $197 for every $1 MAP invested.