China Trade Mission Promotes Global Food & Style Expo and NRA Show and Recruits New Buyers

News Date December 05, 2007

       NASDA President and North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, NASDA Trade Shows Director DeWitt Ashby, Ann Daw, president of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, and Mary Pat Heftman, senior vice president of the National Restaurant Association met with Chinese food service, restaurant, hotel and hospitality groups, as well as food importers and government officials in the cities of Beijing, Shenyang, Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu and Guangzhou over a 13-day trade mission in China.

       "The purpose of the mission is to recruit companies to come to the U.S. for the Global Food and Style Expo and the National Restaurant Association Show, next year in Chicago," Johnson said. "We are also conducting seminars to educate people about the U.S.-China trade and the opportunities available to U.S. and Chinese traders."

       Sponsored by NASDA and the U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service, the U.S. Food Export Showcase, and the American Food Fair are, respectively, part of the Global Food and Style Expo (GFSE) and the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show. The GFSE, is a new partnership featuring the largest display of specialty, ethnic, natural, organic and export-ready U.S. food in the world. event features the largest display of specialty foods, organic and export products in the U.S. Attracting 12,000 to 15,000 buyers. The NRA show includes a complete line of food products for the restaurant and hotel industries and a wide range of related non-food items. The NRA show annually attracts more than 75,000 industry professionals.

       International trade is more important than ever to the U.S. food industry. Western culture is proving to have great influence over Chinese companies and the commodities they purchase from the United States. These factors influence the work that NASDA and the Foreign Agricultural Service does to bring Chinese retailers, restaurateurs, and importers to the U.S.

       The U.S. agriculture industry set another record in FY07 with exports topping $79 billion. USDA predicts exports will reach $83.5 billion, which means another record-breaking year in 2008. These numbers speak for themselves and make a very bold statement about the high-demand for United States agriculture products.

       "The U.S. Food Export Showcase and American Food Fair help small- and mid-size food manufacturers tap into the growth potential of international markets," Johnson said. "It provides a venue for hundreds of U.S. companies to meet with thousands of buyers from around the world."

         The U.S. Food Export Showcase is scheduled for April 27 to 29, at McCormick Place in Chicago. The American Food Fair, part of the National Restaurant Association Show, is May 17 to 20, also in Chicago. (Contact: Megan McDonald or DeWitt Ashby)