USDA's Alexis Taylor (left) and USA Rice's Asiha Grigsby (right) in Panama building economic partnerships
Mar 27, 2023
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA – USA Rice participated in last week’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agribusiness Trade Mission here led by Under Secretary of Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor. Representatives from 28 agribusiness, farm organizations, and state departments of agriculture are looking to develop stronger ties and build economic partnerships with buyers and importers from Central and South America, all while experiencing the beauty of Panamanian culture.
“Panama and our partners throughout the CAFTA-DR [Central American] region offer the U.S. agriculture industry great opportunities to export its world-class products,” said Taylor. “I’m excited to introduce the diverse group of U.S. agribusinesses and industry officials joining me in Panama City to buyers from around the region. Agricultural product exports to Panama and the CAFTA-DR member countries topped $8.8 billion in 2022, supporting the record $196 billion in total agricultural exports from the United States last year.”
Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice director of international promotion for the western hemisphere, participated in a roundtable meeting focused on the successes and challenges of U.S. trade in the region. The panelists included other U.S. agriculture cooperator representatives who offered insight on strategies and best practices from USDA and other agricultural organizations to advance agricultural trade.
Grigsby also met with FAS agricultural specialists from Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Colombia to share information on USA Rice promotional activities in the region. The trade mission included two days of market/retail tours and business to business meetings with buyers and importers from Central America. Trade leads will be distributed to membership.
No trip to Panama is complete without a visit to the Panama Canal. Under Secretary Taylor noted that, “seventy percent of trade passing through the Panama Canal is either going to or coming from a port in the United States.” All participants enjoyed a front row view as ships passed through the Canal, demonstrating the strength of international trade.
The U.S. has a trade promotion agreement with Panama allowing 23,140 tons of U.S. rice to enter the country duty-free in 2022. A total of 65,000 tons of U.S. rice ($28 million) was exported to Panama last year. A total of 485,000 tons of U.S. rice was exported to Central America last year, valued at $182 million.