USGC Leads Trade Facilitation Training In New Orleans

U.S. Grains Council (USGC) staff based in its Latin America (LTA) regional office traveled to New Orleans, LA, with representatives from the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture, the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) and the Colombian National Institute of Drug and Food Surveillance (INVIMA) for participants to learn about the health and safety procedures along the U.S. export chain.

“Members of the group have substantial influence on the policies and processes related to grain import in Colombia, so it’s an important responsibility for the Council to show them the high standards of safety and quality assurance built into every aspect of the U.S. supply chain from farm to port,” said Diana Correa, USGC LTA marketing specialist.

Correa, USGC Regional Consultant Alejandro Gonzalez and attendees arrived at a Cargill facility in New Orleans to meet with staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Federal Grain Inspection Service (USDA’s FGIS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Presentation topics included the phytosanitary regulations required for U.S. grains to be exported to Colombia; pest risk assessments and related quarantine procedures; sampling and testing protocols; and emergency response planning.

After the morning’s discussions, the group toured the facility’s grain elevator and FGIS lab to learn about the transport and safety logistics involved in commodity exports.

The next day, participants toured grain loading facilities at Russell Marine Group, a leader in grain shipment inspections and chemical analysis based in New Orleans. The visit included a walkthrough of the quality control methods and documentation required for grain exports.

The program concluded with a boat tour of local grain elevators and a meeting with the staff from the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine to better understand U.S. policy requirements for pet foods.

“The Council’s goal for this group was to remove potential obstacles to grain exports to Colombia by minimizing uncertainty about the logistics of international trade, and I think we certainly accomplished that,” Correa said. “Attendees were very engaged in learning about the health standards of U.S. exports and will feel well-equipped to assess import policies in Colombia.”

Learn more about the Council’s work in Latin America here.