Building Global Connections Through Industry Trade Missions

By Peter Vlazakis, American Peanut Council

Whether hosting delegations of foreign buyers in the U.S. or organizing industry visits to established and emerging export markets, trade missions provide an opportunity to exchange knowledge and strengthen relationships with key customers from around the world. The easing of travel restrictions and increasing levels of Zoom fatigue led the American Peanut Council (APC) to resume in-person trade missions in 2022. These missions included the industry’s first official visit to South Korea, a harvest tour in Texas for key customers from Mexico, and a trip to Georgia for the Japanese trade.

A delegation from the U.S. traveled to South Korea to exhibit at the 2022 Seoul Food and Hotel trade show in June. Held annually, it is the largest food and beverage show in the country and brings together buyers and sellers from across Asia. The Texas Peanut Producers Board funded the exhibit with a grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture. Throughout the five-day show, trade leads were collected from over 20 importers, distributors and manufacturers interested in sourcing U.S. peanuts. The trip also included meetings with the Korean Peanut Import Association, which oversees raw peanut purchases, and with the Korean distributor of Skippy. In 2022, U.S. exports to this market increased 72% by volume and 33% by value to reach 5,197 MT and $14 million.

In mid-October, APC organized a visit near Lubbock, Texas for more than 20 U.S. exporters and 27 Mexican key importers, distributors and snack manufacturers. During the three-day trip, attendees visited fields, toured shelling plants and learned key aspects of peanut production. They also enjoyed presentations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Peanut Institute, Kantar World Panel and JLA International. Since APC last hosted a delegation from Mexico, the country has grown to become the top international market for U.S. peanuts, with shipments totaling 149,119 MT valued at $212 million in 2022.

From Nov. 7-10, APC hosted a group of Japanese key customers near Americus, Georgia. The tour was supported by the American Peanut Shellers Association, National Peanut Board, Georgia Peanut Commission and National Peanut Buying Points Association. The 17 Japanese attendees and 25 U.S. industry members visited a peanut farm, toured a buying point and shelling plant, visited the JLA laboratory in Albany, and toured several grocery stores to see peanut products available to American consumers. There was also a session featuring presentations about sustainability, the status of the 2022 crop, peanut nutrition and marketing, and U.S. consumer trends and new products. Exports to Japan last year grew 22% by volume and 11% by value to reach 20,164 MT valued at $35 million.