Trade mission promotes US rice in Peru
By Susan Reidy
USA Rice joined with the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) trade mission to Peru as part of ongoing efforts to expand market access and boost exports of US-grown rice in the region.
During the opening plenary session, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley welcomed the delegation, including a special shoutout to USA Rice and a few other companies acknowledging the importance of cooperator participation in trade missions such as this.
“I am honored to lead this delegation to Lima as we work to strengthen vital connections, grow US agricultural exports, and showcase the broad array of products American agriculture has to offer,” Whitley said.
Peru is currently the fourth-largest market for US agricultural exports in South America and the second-largest supplier of agricultural products to the country. However, a $3.66 billion agricultural trade deficit with Peru underscores the need for strategic export promotion, particularly for products like US rice, USA Rice said. In 2024 only 151 tonnes of US rice was imported.
The mission agenda included retail store visits, a tour of the Port of Callao, which handles nearly 80% of the country’s import/export business, and Emergent Cold LaTam, a cold storage facility — all underscoring the strong logistics and cold chain capabilities that make Peru a key regional hub.
Throughout the week, USA Rice’s Asiha Grigsby, senior director of international promotion for the Western Hemisphere, met with Peruvian rice distributors, importers, and trade members to explore opportunities to grow US rice exports. These meetings laid important groundwork for future business development and collaboration in the market, she said.
“Peru presents a promising opportunity for US rice, given its regional connectivity and expanding consumer market,” Grigsby said. “This mission allowed us to build valuable relationships and share the quality and versatility of US-grown rice with key Peruvian partners.”
This article has been republished from The World Grain.