The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is a truly global organization, with nine offices spread around the world in addition to its headquarters in Washington, D.C. With staff based in a diverse array of time zones, the Council is effectively working nonstop on behalf of U.S. farmers and producers.
The Council’s international offices were asked to submit photos of what their staff were doing at 10 a.m. local time during the past week to illustrate how the Council is promoting the U.S. agricultural industry even while U.S. farmers are asleep.
At 10 a.m. in Seoul, South Korea, or 7 p.m. CST, Council staff were on their way to the Incheon Port Terminal to examine the first shipment of U.S. corn from the 2024/2025 crop. Pictured clockwise from left are USGC Administrative Manager Young Jin Lee; USGC Manager of Global Strategies and Trade Alexander Grabois; USGC At-Large Board Member Jim O’Connor; Ohio Corn Board Member Nate Bair; and USGC Director in South Korea Haksoo Kim.
Earlier this week, at 2 a.m. Eastern Time, staff based in the Council’s regional office for Europe, the Middle East and Europe (EMEA) were already well into a 2024/2025 Corn Harvest Quality Report rollout event in Istanbul, Turkey. Pictured, USGC Deputy Regional Director for Europe and the Middle East Ana Maria Ballesteros reviews the results of the study with interested buyers.
The Council’s office in Mexico City is one of two international bases in the Western Hemisphere. At 10 a.m. Eastern Time earlier this week, staff in Mexico and USGC Manager of Global Programs Samantha Redfern (top right) coordinated on upcoming projects focused on driving demand for U.S. agricultural products in the country.
While some Americans are getting ready for bed, Council staff based in Beijing, China are already awake the next day developing markets for U.S. agriculture. This week, USGC Director in China Manuel Sanchez (leftmost) led his team in strategic alignment exercises to focus promotional efforts in the world’s second most populous country.
The Council’s easternmost office is in Japan, and at 15 hours ahead of central time, Midwest workers are just getting home as USGC Program and Administrative Manager Michiyo Hoshizawa (left), USGC Administrative Coordinator Izumi Onozawa (center) and USGC Director in Japan Tommy Hamamoto (right) conduct their weekly staff meeting.
The Council’s office in Panama City oversees programs and missions for customers in the Caribbean, Central America and South America and staff conducted a morning meeting to discuss strategic initiatives in the broad Latin American region.
At 10 a.m. in Malaysia, USGC Regional Trade Manager Caleb Floss (left) and USGC Regional Director for Southeast Asia and Oceania (SEA&O) Caleb Wurth (right) prepared for a live presentation of the Council’s 2024/2025 Corn Harvest Quality Report for importers and end-users based in the region to learn about the quality of the current U.S. corn crop.
The Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and has full-time staff in 28 locations around the world, all working together seamlessly 24 hours a day to develop markets, enable trade and improve lives for U.S. producers and international customers.
About The U.S. Grains Council
The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. With full-time presence in 28 locations, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture’s profitability. Detailed information about the Council and its programs is online at www.grains.org.