Iowa ag trade mission to China in July

By Rod Boshart, Gazette Des Moines Bureau

DES MOINES ? Gov. Kim Reynolds is planning a July reunion with her former boss, U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad ? in China.

Reynolds announced Tuesday she will be leading an all-Iowa agriculture trade mission to China that will begin July 19 and run until July 28. Traveling with her will be officials from commodity groups representing Iowa?s corn, soybean, pork, beef, egg, poultry, dairy and turkey industries ? marking the first time all of Iowa?s major farm groups have participated in a joint trade mission.

Reynolds said the historic mission was timed to coincide with Branstad?s upcoming arrival and installment as America?s Chinese ambassador. Branstad?s new position in the Trump administration was rooted in his personal friendship with China?s president and she hopes Iowa can ?cultivate and maximize? the relationship by promoting more exports to China.

?There is no better time than now to market and pitch our products in China,? said Reynolds. ?Our relationship with the country is strong, and their growing middle class means increasing purchasing power and Iowa stands to gain significantly as a result.?

Reynolds, who will be making her sixth trip to China, said the goal of the latest mission is to build relationships, understanding and trust with the hope of opening new possibilities for Iowa?s agricultural products, especially building on a new opening for exporting beef to the largest population center in the world.

Iowa Cattlemen?s Association CEO Matt Deppe said his group is ?cautiously optimistic about the potential for a trade agreement that would lift a Chinese embargo against U.S. beef that?s been in effect for 13 years. He said access would be ?a crucial first step? in expanding beef exports to China.

?Personal relationships and friendships are significant in the Chinese culture,? Reynolds told her weekly news conference, ?and if Iowa farmers want to be the main supplier of choice to China?s 1.4 billion people ? one of the world?s biggest customers ? that?s where we?ll go.?

Reynolds said trade mission members will be meeting with government officials and industry partners in Shanghai, Xian and Beijeng, where they will drop by the U.S. embassy to visit with Branstad and get his insights as the groups navigate solutions to some of the current issues facing their industries. For some of Iowa?s commodities, China is a developed market while others see it as a new opportunity to bring down barriers to products.

Craig Floss of the Iowa Corn Growers Association said trade and exports are ?absolutely vital? to Iowa producers and to have all of the state?s agricultural sectors will create ?a strong force? in marketing Iowa to potentially up to about 1.4 billion consumers.

?This is how you compete in a global marketplace,? said Adam Gregg, who Reynolds has appointed to serve as her acting lieutenant governor.