The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC), in partnership with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), recently welcomed a 36-member team of agricultural stakeholders as part of the biennial Taiwan Agricultural Goodwill Mission, a symbol and tradition in the trade relationship between the two trading partners.
The mission was highlighted by the signing of letters of intent (LOIs), including one signed by the Taiwan Feed Industry Association to purchase 7.5 million metric tons (295 million bushels) of U.S. corn and 1 million metric tons of U.S. corn co-products between 2026 and 2029 at an estimated value of more than $2 billion.
“The Taiwan Goodwill Mission, first held in 1998, has played a significant role in strengthening U.S. market presence in Taiwan and maintaining it as a top 10 export market for U.S. farmers,” said Michael Lu, USGBC director in Taiwan.
“In addition to the billions of dollars in sales generated directly via LOIs signed on these visits over the past 27 years, the trust established between Taiwanese purchasers and end-users on these missions is a foundational element for U.S. market access.”
The first several days of the mission were spent in Washington, D.C. where the delegation met with U.S. lawmakers about the importance of agricultural trade, U.S. agricultural associations and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO).
The delegation signed the LOIs before dividing into two groups based on participants’ commodity specializations, with the Council’s team of corn and corn co-products buyers traveling to Arkansas, Ohio and Indiana before returning to Taiwan.
“The Taiwanese market has a preference for the quality and reliability of U.S. feed grains, but in the face of increased competition from other origins, this program is as valuable as ever to U.S. producers,” Lu said.
“I look forward to seeing the results of the LOIs signed during the mission and how they can create further opportunities to collaborate with important customers and decision-makers in Taiwan.”
Learn more about the Council’s work in Taiwan here.