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The U.S. Dairy Export Council: Going to Bat for U.S. Producers
By Priscilla B. Glynn
In the export arena, as anywhere else, it pays to have an ally in your corner. In recent years, the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) has emerged as a staunch champion of the U.S. dairy industry.
The mission of USDEC, whose members include processors, exporters and producers, is straightforward: to help the U.S. dairy industry increase its exports. USDEC creates integrated strategies, programs and services that help U.S. products penetrate competitive overseas markets.
USDEC is a global organization, with its headquarters in Arlington, VA, and overseas offices in Mexico City, Mexico; São Paulo, Brazil; Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; Hong Kong and Shanghai, China; Bangkok, Thailand; and Paris, France.
The European office, which chiefly gathers and monitors trade intelligence, allows USDEC to keep a vigilant eye on events in the European Union, one of the United States' most formidable competitors.
USDEC provides regular reports on export opportunities, information on current and developing markets, and seminars to hone the exporting skills of U.S. firms.
Homework = Groundwork
USDEC continually conducts market research that focuses on important features in a particular market, competitor presence and activities, major products and their uses.
USDEC also maintains information from other organizations and government sources. It has country files, company files and a wide range of statistical data on dairy markets in the United States and other countries.
A World of Activities
USDEC's foreign offices not only promote a variety of products; they offer extensive trade services and general market development activities.
Trade servicing is crucial to establishing and expanding markets for U.S. dairy products. Perhaps the single most important function of a USDEC overseas office is getting to know a country or region's end-users and manufacturers.
The overseas offices host functions to showcase U.S. dairy products for the entire trade of a country or region, from retailers to manufacturers. The offices also help the U.S. industry understand the requirements and preferences of particular markets. Office staff meet with companies to get a better understanding of what U.S. companies offer and what importers need. Some offices also do direct consumer promotions.
In the ingredients area, USDEC seminars help to familiarize foreign traders with possible uses of U.S. products. On the retail side, USDEC does more traditional promotional work, such as supermarket promotions. USDEC also directs activities to the food service sector, seeking to expand demand by introducing new product uses.
For more information on the activities and services USDEC has to offer, call (703) 528-3049, or check out its home page at: http://www.usdec.org.
USDEC's Technical Services
USDEC's technical services department is a one-stop resource center for exporters looking to untangle complex international trade rules and regulations. It offers country-specific information on product standards, labeling requirements, other regulatory requirements, tariffs and quotas. It assists exporters in overcoming market access constraints by working closely with trade officials in the United States and other countries. It also represents the U.S. dairy industry in key international standard-setting organizations: Codex Alimentarius (sponsored by the United Nations) and the International Dairy Federation.
By working closely with trade associations, industry and government officials, USDEC pursues the development of a unified industry position on proposed product standards and the reshaping of existing international legislation to better support U.S. interests and facilitate more equitable trade.
USDEC's desk reference manual combines technical country requirements and trade information in one convenient package for U.S. exporters.
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