Maryland Food and Beverage Businesses Invited to Trade Missions in China and Hong Kong

Sign up with the Southern US Trade Association by July 2, 2024

ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 16, 2024)– The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced they are seeking Maryland food and beverage businesses to participate in outbound trade missions to China and Hong Kong later this summer. Hosted by the Southern United States Trade Association, these missions will connect Maryland companies with key pre-qualified buyers in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. The mission itinerary is designed to provide valuable market briefings from the USDA Agricultural Trade Office and market tours to observe the local retail sector.

“SUSTA is an essential tool that food and beverage producers in the state can utilize to develop sales in foreign markets,” said Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks.”Their trade missions offer opportunities to meet top-tier buyers and gain market insight through in-country consultants.”

Beijing, the capital of China, is one of the most important markets for imported food and drinks, with an established base of importers. Guangzhou, a sprawling port city northwest of Hong Kong on the Pearl River, serves as a major port and transportation hub and is one of China’s three largest cities. Both cities have consumers who have high purchasing power and familiarity with imported foods, making them prime markets for introducing food and drinks from the U.S.

Hong Kong is one of the most vibrant and dynamic markets in Asia. Due to its limited arable land and resources for food production, Hong Kong relies nearly entirely on imports to fulfill its local food supply, making it a key importer of food and agricultural products globally. In 2023, Hong Kong ranked the 18th largest importer of agricultural products from the United States with $1.69 billion. Bordering Guangdong province, Hong Kong makes a strong case for U.S. exporters who may have an eye on the mainland China market.

Participants interested in the China and Hong Kong trade missions must be members of SUSTA.  For more information or to register for the China outbound trade mission please visit  https://www.susta.org/event/detail/14C3C6E8-94E2-44CB-95FE-008233A9608A/search/. Those interested in the Hong Kong outbound trade mission may visit https://www.susta.org/event/detail/476E8D09-80D1-456E-A255-7646FFA851C3/search/.  Sign up for the August trade missions is by July 2, 2024.

For any questions about Maryland Department of Agriculture’s international efforts or SUSTA, please contact the department’s Director of International Marketing Stone Slade, at stone.slade@maryland.gov.

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