Trans Pacific Partnership is Good for Louisiana: Jerry Hingle

Louisiana's food and agriculture exports to the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) signatories totaled just under $2 billion last year and are up 52% so far in 2012. And if Japan and Korea join the club, expect it to be an even more important trading block for farmers and ranchers in our state.

Sure, the U.S. already has free trade agreements with many individual countries in this group, but TPP gives us a chance to gain more access as we fix loose ends that got taken off the table when negotiating them. Korea held firm on opening up their rice market; Hopes are that our rice farmers may eventually get another chance ...

U.S. Federal Reserve Bank focuses its sights on strong agriculture exports: Interview of SUSTA Executive Director Jerry Hingle

America's agriculture industry is a bright spot among the persistent negative news on the U.S. economy. It's one of the few sectors of the American economy enjoying a healthy trade surplus. We have a great story to tell, and were thrilled to contribute to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's glossy quarterly "Econ South".

http://www.frbatlanta.org/documents/pubs/econsouth/12q2_qanda.pdf

Jerry Hingle featured at the European Seafood Exposition

The European Seafood Exposition is the largest seafood expo in the world, and this year on it's 20th anniversary, Southern United States Trade Association was lucky to have five exhibitors on the trade show floor. Held in Brussels, Belgium, this event is a great opportunity for exporters to expand their reach. Each year, exhibitors sell millions of dollars worth of seafood on the trade show floor alone! Watch the video to learn more about this amazing event.

Featured in the video is Christian Foster, Deputy Administrator for the Office of Trade Programs Foreign Agricultural Service, myself (Jerry Hingle, Executive Director of SUSTA), and Colleen Coyne, Coordinator for Food Export U.S.A Seafood Program.

--Jerry Hingle, Executive Director of the Southern United States Trade Association

Exporters Might Need to Tweak American Food - Jerry Hingle

American snack food exports are growing strongly as the world gains more of an appetite for "on-the-go" snacks and busy urban lifestyles leaves less time to cook. But exporters wishing to take advantage of this growing trend should be prepared to reconsider how their product is packaged and flavored. U.S. portion sizes (16oz bags, gallon containers) are usually too big in nearly all export markets due to smaller refrigerators and cupboards.

But here's how an iconic American snack has been tweaked to fit Chinese tastes:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_SNACKS_OVERSEAS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

European Seafood Exhibition THE Mecca for global seafood trade (Posted by Jerry Hingle, SUSTA Executive Director)

SUSTA, along with the states of Maryland, Virginia, and Florida, exhibited at last week's European Seafood Exhibition in Brussels, Belgium. The event is among the world’s leading gatherings of the seafood industry, with over 1,600 exhibiting companies from over 80 countries. It is one of SUSTA’s top five “must do” trade shows and export sales at the three-day event far exceed sales at any other SUSTA activity. The five companies exhibiting at our pavilion typically sell more than $30 million as a direct result of being at the show.

Our pavilion, located within prime location of the USA pavilion, was staffed by Steve Vilnit (Maryland) and Paul Davis (Florida). Mike Hutt also attended under the sponsorship of the state of Virginia. They all did a superb job at handling enquiries and trade leads, which numbered over 25.

Unlike many generalist food trade shows, ESE is a gathering of tenured and experienced seafood traders. The show is must for any seafood seller wishing to export. Registration for booth space at next year's show are expected to open in October 2012 -- Be sure to sign up quickly as space sells out fast.

Justin Timineri, Executive Chef on loan from the Florida Ag. Department, did a great job at displaying and cooking samples of shrimp, scallops, lobster, and other product available from the companies exhibiting with us.