USDA leading large agricultural delegation to CIIE sign of increasing China-US cooperation: experts

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will lead a delegation of US agricultural companies to attend the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE), according to a representative from the US state of Idaho.

It will be the first time for the US federal agency to participate in the CIIE, the Global Times learned. CIIE is a mega trade expo held by China to boost imports.

The USDA will lead a delegation of up to 15 US agricultural companies and representatives from two US states, Tara Qu, chief representative to China from Idaho, told the Global Times on Monday. Idaho, which has rich farm resources, is one of the two states attending the expo. The other state is Georgia , the Global Times learned.

The delegation's exhibition will be held in the CIIE's food and agricultural products zone, and it is expected that high-ranking officials from the USDA will attend on-site signing ceremonies for possible deals, Qu said.

The Global Times has found that US food and agricultural companies including Hormel, Morton Salt and Orange Cheese Co are among the companies making their debuts at the CIIE, which has seen deals totaling $350 billion signed during the previous five sessions.

According to the USA Poultry &Egg Export Council (USAPEEC), the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and AmCham Shanghai have invited US agricultural cooperators to exhibit at the 6th CIIE 2023 in the US Pavilion, promoting the US poultry sector's image and the USAPEEC's brand image to Chinese importers, in what is "the first time that the US government officially encourages US agricultural cooperators to engage this show."

Qu said that Idaho has always valued the CIIE's role as a super-sized import venue and the opportunities it brought. The US state has attended the CIIE for four consecutive years, Qu said. The USDA's on-site presence will undoubtedly send a positive signal for China-US agricultural cooperation.

The Almond Board of California is also attending the CIIE for the first time.

He Weiwen, a senior fellow from the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Monday that whereas US companies have attended CIIEs before, the participation by a US federal government agency has brought to the cooperative relationship to a new and higher level.

This is in accordance with the two countries' stabilizing and improving ties and the recent background of bilateral cooperation reaching more substantive working levels, he said. "The concrete actions as demonstrated by the USDA's decision to lead US agricultural firms at the CIIE will produce positive, win-win effects for both countries."

"Factoring in recent developments, it can be said that multiple wheels are trending better for China-US ties, such as the cooperation seen at the US federal government level, the state level, the company level, as well as think tank and people-to-people exchange levels," He said.

News of the USDA's move came amid a flurry of diplomatic exchanges and visits by high-ranking officials from both countries.

Last week, companies from the two countries signed 11 agricultural purchase contracts for corn, sorghum and wheat at the China-US Sustainable Agricultural Trade Forum and Contract Signing Ceremony held in the US.

At the event, Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng said that China-US agricultural cooperation is complementary and win-win and has vast potential to grow.

China is the world's largest importer of agricultural products, while the US is the world's largest agricultural products exporter. Bilateral trade in this area exceeded $50 billion in 2022.