Earlier this month, U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) staff and members traveled to Thailand and Vietnam to hold workshops and engagements with brewing industry leaders and participate in Brew Asia 2025.
USGBC Manager of Global Strategies and Trade Sadie Marks, USGBC Regional Marketing Manager Rowena Ngumbang and representatives from USGBC members Briess Malt & Ingredients Company, Cold Stream Malt and Grain and Mountain Malt also attended to cultivate industry interest in U.S. malt and barley.
“Members gathered on this mission to propel the new product awareness and market viability work the Council is conducting in the region,” Marks said. “It was a timely event as Southeast Asia is seeing a rapidly growing appetite for craft and premium beer. Vietnam, for example, is the largest consumer of beer in the region and has real interest in high quality ingredients, as evidenced by an industry purchase of U.S. hops earlier this year.”
While in Vietnam, the team met with craft maltsters, large beverage suppliers, traders, malt houses and port facilities to start laying the groundwork for future commercial engagements.
The delegation then traveled to Bangkok for Brew Asia 2025, where the Council’s exhibition booth featured opportunities to interact with suppliers and help inform end-users about U.S. malt and barley quality.
“This was the Council’s first engagement at Brew Asia, a growing trade fair bringing together leaders across Asia’s beer supply chain. We heard comments from a variety of buyers expressing their interest and excitement with seeing U.S. products come to the market and present a viable option for the industry,” Marks said.
“Through long-term market development work there is potential to move the needle for the barley industry and exports of craft malt in Southeast Asia.”
Learn more about the Council’s work in barley here.