The Middle East and North Africa region experienced a large increase in demand for U.S corn last marking year, importing 1,200 percent more than the 2012/2013 marketing year. This marketing year, the region is once again seeing strong sales and shipments of U.S. corn to the region, with outstanding sales and accumulated exports totaling 3.3 million metric tons (130 million bushels) as of July 9.
As U.S. Grains Council (USGC) Regional Director of the Middle East and Africa Cary Sifferath explains, USGC trade servicing efforts in the region have been essential to maintaining U.S. market share in this region.
“Being able to have people on the ground that maintain relationships with key contacts in the region is important so the United States can move coarse grains when we have booming yields,” Sifferath said. “These established relationships allow us to get key markets like Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Morocco to move back into buying U.S. corn when it is available.”
USGC programs this fall with the Middle East and North Africa region will continue to focus on building rapport with people who will be important decision makers in the future.
“We are putting together a group of corn buyers who are the up-and-coming purchasers in key companies,” Sifferath said. “This will allow these people to become more connected with the U.S. market, learn about the Council and have good contacts with the next generation of buyers in these key companies in the region.”
Click here to view previous articles the Council published about the region in Global Update.