Sifferath Joins USDA Transport Logistics Roundtable In Mexico

U.S. Grains Council (USGC) Vice President Cary Sifferath recently traveled to Mexico City to join USGC Director in Mexico Heidi Bringenberg at a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) roundtable event on transportation logistics between the U.S. and Mexico.

The event was jointly held with the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico (AmCham Mexico), an organization representing U.S. companies to promote international trade and business cooperation between the countries. The robust U.S.-Mexico rail network has been a cornerstone of the North American transportation matrix, enabling remarkable growth in Mexico’s feed and livestock market by efficiently moving grains and co-products across the border.

“As our largest corn, DDGS and barley export market, maintaining strong relationships and ensuring these products cross the border with minimum interruptions is paramount to the continued success of U.S. grain producers and Mexican end users,” Sifferath said.

“Keeping our partners at USDA and FAS informed about the needs of customers and growers helps industry stakeholders stay on the same page for the advancement of export development.”

Since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994, rail has proven its resilience, handling increasingly larger grain volumes—rising from 8 million metric tons (MMT) in marketing year (MY) 2014/15 to over 23 MMT in MY 2023/24. Rail has fueled Mexico’s feed and livestock industries, enabling it to become the world’s sixth largest feed producer.

However, recent rail congestion issues, emerging as trade volumes soared with Mexico’s growing feed sector and severe local drought conditions, warranted closer study in anticipation of future record-setting corn export years. This makes the Council’s presence essential to ensure this vital trade artery remains robust for one of U.S. agriculture’s top trading partners.

The event kicked off with outlooks on trade between the countries from USDA and USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) staff. Representatives from regulatory agencies, transportation providers and industry partners like the Council then gave their perspectives on the role of rail access in supporting the U.S. and Mexican economies.

Bringenberg and Sifferath also held meetings with Council staff and consultants based in Mexico to review topics of discussion during the roundtable and align on marketing strategies for feed grains, biofuels and biotechnologies in the Mexican market.

“The high-level collaboration between U.S. and Mexican authorities, the presence of Mexico’s feed and livestock industry leadership and the participation of major rail companies from both sides of the border underscore a forward-looking commitment,” Sifferath said.

“This marks a pivotal moment to continue working and dialoguing, ensuring a thriving trade relationship for years to come.”

Learn more about the Council’s work in Mexico here.