AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – USA Rice participated in the USDA Agricultural Trade Mission here last week, joining dozens of cooperator groups, businesses, and state departments of agriculture to learn more about opportunities and challenges in the Northern European market. Alexis Taylor, USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs led the mission, where participants received market briefings, participated in business-to-business meetings, and attended multiple retail food and agriculture site visits.
The trade mission kicked off by providing participants with an in-depth background of the economic and market situation in the region. Agriculture in the Netherlands is fundamental to its economy. Though the size of Maryland and with a population of 17 million, the country is the world’s second largest exporter of agricultural products by value behind only the United States. FAS agricultural specialists outlined the Dutch, Nordic, and Northern European markets, and representatives from Cargill and The Federation of the Dutch Food Industry discussed evolving market opportunities and challenges.
“As the gateway to Europe for U.S. food and agriculture exports, the Netherlands is an important trading partner. I’m delighted that company representatives from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden are joining us in Amsterdam this week,” said Taylor. “With combined total agricultural and related exports to these markets topping $4.5 billion in 2022, I’m confident the delegation will be successful in building new relationships that are critical to expanding opportunities for increased trade.”
The trade mission took participants to several sites central to this agricultural powerhouse, including Zandbergen World’s Finest Meats, a Bunge oilseed crushing plant, and Royal Steensma Food Innovation Academy, where young people in the Netherlands receive training for a career in the food industry. The tour also included a visit to the Port of Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe and the main entry point of U.S. rice and other agricultural exports into Europe.
“The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and other Northern European nations represent a high-value potential market for the U.S. rice industry, with shared goals of innovation and sustainability discussed as common themes throughout the week,” said Jesica Kincaid, USA Rice senior manager of international trade policy who represented USA Rice. “This USDA trade mission provided a valuable opportunity to learn about the region not only as a market itself, but as an entry point to the European market as a whole.”
Kincaid said current and potential buyers were happy to hear of the strong expected crop across the South and in California, and thought the increased supply could encourage more U.S. rice imports into the European market. Buyers were also very interested in U.S. rice’s sustainability story, as sustainability is a key consideration for consumers across the continent.