IFBF’s Kaldenberg, Bruning talk trade in Japan and Taiwan

Iowa Farm Bureau District Directors Sharyl Bruning and Tim Kaldenberg joined other farm leaders and state officials on a 16-member trade mission to Taiwan and Japan last month to encourage trade development, bolster partnerships and identify opportunities to expand export markets.

The mission, coordinated by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), also included representatives from Iowa's meat production, grain and meat processing industries.

Bruning, IFBF District 4 director, raises cattle, corn and soy­­beans near Mapleton in Monona County. Kaldenberg, IFBF District 8 director, raises corn, soybeans, hay and cattle near Albia in Monroe County.

Taiwan and Japan are critical Iowa trading partners. Both ranked among the top 10 U.S. agricultural export markets in 2023. In 2023, Iowa companies exported $225.1 million in agricultural goods to Taiwan and $1.3 billion to Japan.

"Iowa is an agricultural production powerhouse, so it is vital for our state's farmers and agribusinesses to be able to share our abundance with the world through trade and to seek new market opportunities for Iowa ag products through participation in international trade missions," said Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Grant Menke, who led the trade mission. "This North Asian mission allowed our ag delegation to build on Iowa's longstanding friendship and partnership in trade with both Japan and Taiwan - strong, stable markets that depend heavily on imports for their food and agriculture needs and deeply value the reliability and premium quality of Iowa's meat products and commodities."

Key trading partners

Taiwan is Iowa's 13th largest trading partner, with exports estimated at $321 million in manufactured and value-added goods in 2023. Taiwan is the eighth-largest destination for Iowa soybeans, accounting for $87.4 million in 2023.

Iowa companies exported $50.5 million in meat pro­ducts to Taiwan in 2023.

Jap­­an is Iowa's fourth largest export destination and the second-leading export market for pork and beef products. Iowa companies exported $533 million in meat products to Japan in 2023.

With $367 million worth of corn purchases made in 2023, Japan is the second largest destination for Iowa corn. Through September, corn exports to Japan have risen 25% in 2024.

The Iowa ag delegation visited Taipei, Taiwan, and Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, from Nov. 15-23. The itinerary was comprised of trade policy discussions, informational sessions on Iowa's agricultural industry and business development meetings.

"Our meetings, briefings, tours and customer visits showcased the innovation and creativity of Japanese and Taiwanese businesses, provided key information and insights on Iowa agriculture, addressed technical barriers to trade, and confirmed the potential and desire for even greater volumes of Iowa ag exports to Japan and Taiwan in the future," said Menke.

The delegation was comprised of representatives from Iowa ag processing companies, the Iowa Beef Industry Council, Iowa Corn, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association and the Iowa Soybean Association.

IEDA worked with the U.S. Grains Council, U.S. Meat Export Federation, U.S. Soybean Export Council and USDA-Foreign Agriculture Service to identify and organize business prospects for the mission.

Pictured above: Iowa Farm Bureau District 8 Director Tim Kaldenberg, right, and District 4 Director Sharyl Bruning, second from right, visited the Kuromon Ichiba Market in Osaka, Japan. The street market has more than 100 vendors who sell meat, seafood and produce. PHOTO COURTESY IOWA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY