For decades, U.S. agricultural export organizations have worked to increase opportunities for American farm products in Taiwan. In 2022, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) decided to supplement those efforts by hiring its own in-market trade representative.
Given the importance of Taiwan to Minnesota corn farmers, the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council voted to invest checkoff funds in MDA’s Taiwan office.
MDA’s Taiwan office is overseen by the department’s international trade supervisor, Christina Connelly. Recently, Connelly sat down with Minnesota Corn to discuss the Taiwanese market and how MDA is developing market opportunities internationally for Minnesota farmers.
What’s the overall goal of MDA’s trade office? How does the work in Taiwan fit into that?
Our purpose is threefold: To expand into new markets, maintain existing markets, and attract foreign direct investment (i.e., businesses in the food and ag space that might want to relocate here).
Our decision to invest in Taiwan was a strategic one based, in large part, on the interest of our state’s commodity organizations. Taiwan has really grown as an export destination, and they have such a relationship-based economy. They don’t do transactions via emails or phone calls. Often, they don’t transact anything in the first couple of meetings. It really means a lot to show up in that market and continue to pound the pavement. It’s a show of our understanding of that culture to continue to show up and express our gratitude for the relationship.
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