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The Natural Products West Buyers Mission, March 8–11, 2007, in Anaheim, California, brought U.S. suppliers together with qualified food buyers from Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea. U.S. suppliers reported 37 new contacts with international buyers.
The natural and organic food products sector is showing impressive growth as consumer interest around the globe continues to rise. This Food Export–Midwest- and Food Export–Northeast-sponsored Buyers Mission pre-arranged one-on-one meetings between buyers and sellers of organic and natural products. Match-maker meetings were conducted during the Natural Products Expo West tradeshow, and a contact list was disseminated to all the participants for follow-up. U.S. suppliers met with a number of foreign buyers to generate potential sales, develop face-to-face relationships, and gather important information about their products’ potential in the global marketplace.
As a result of participating in this activity, the companies generated an actual increase in export sales of $40,000 with a projected increase of $2,220,000. One participating company from Missouri reported a first-time ever export sale. Another company from Illinois is anticipating a $1 million to $2 million increase in export sales within the next year as a result of attending.
The buyers’ high interest in U.S. products and the ability to make purchase decisions is another reason for the success of the event. One buyer reported that his company anticipates a 50 percent increase, $1,000,000 worth, in purchases from U.S. suppliers as a result of attending the Natural Products West Buyers Mission. This same buyer reported connecting with 15 new suppliers, 10 of which he describes as “new supplier relationships.”
Food Export–Midwest and Food Export–Northeast are private, non-profit associations of Midwestern and Northeastern state agricultural promotion agencies that use federal, state, and industry resources to promote the export of Northeastern and Midwestern food and agricultural products. Food Export–Midwest and Food Export–Northeast administer many services through Market Access Program (MAP) funding from the USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service.
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