USDBC Receives 2020 Global Trade Funding Allocation

USDBC will be receiving a grant of around $1.1 million in Market Access (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program funding to promote global trade in 2020 from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). With anticipated additional funding from Emerging Markets and Global Broad Based Initiatives Programs, as well as Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) funding that was granted in 2019 but continues forward in 2020, USDBC expects to be working with a total of approximately $2.7 million in funding in 2020. There will be new activities and new market exploration planned in the next year building up to two big global events for World Pulses Day 2020 and a Global Buyers’ Conference in 2021. More on these two events forthcoming as the dates get closer, stay tuned.

In 2020 we anticipate continuing to focus on market development and enhancement with our key trading partners, new trading partners, and in new market segments. We will be doing more to closely monitor new developments and opportunities in China, the UK (post Brexit), and for the first time, we expect to conduct a trade mission to Cuba, pending approval from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service as this is a new opportunity created by the last Farm Bill. We will also have an enhanced trade policy reporting and response program in place to address ongoing tariff and non tariff disputes and to ensure that the U.S. dry bean industry’s interests are represented at the negotiation table as new deals are put in place. We are grateful to our public/private partnership with USDA’s FAS that allows us to reinforce and expand our presence around the world and continue to address issues of global competitiveness. We look forward to this continued partnership and to an exciting year in 2020.