Michael Schadler visits hop farms in Turkey’s Bilecik Province.

In late July, BCI’s Michael Schadler spoke at the International Hop Growers Convention (IHGC) in Eskisehir, Turkey on behalf of the U.S. hop industry. Michael presented forecasts on the upcoming harvest, as well as information on the hop market situation in the U.S.

The IHGC convenes each April, July, and November to discuss issues affecting hop growing industries around the world. The summer meetings rotate between the world’s hop producing regions. Michael is part of the U.S. delegation that attends these IHGC meetings.

Michael also visited Turkey’s hop growing region and met with Turkish brewery representatives.

From July 17-20, 2010, marketing staff member Mike Rucier attended the International Food Technologist (IFT) meeting and exposition in Chicago. IFT draws thousands of food scientists, suppliers, marketers, government agencies, research institutions and others from around the globe to learn about new food innovations, nutrition, and food safety. More than 1,000 presentations were offered with topics ranging from new health and safety benefits and product innovations to the latest consumer favorites, fears, and trends.

The 2010 exhibition drew more than 1,050 exhibitors including ingredient companies and commodity organizations.

On Monday, June 21, 2010, Matt Lantz joined officials from the US Department of Agriculture, Washington State Department of Agriculture, and a prominent Washington State agriculture industry in hosting three Dominican Republic Ministry of Agriculture officials, including the director of Dominican plant quarantine, in reviewing growing practices for a US commodity.

During the visit, the Dominican officials visited farms, labs, fields, and storage facilities along the US-Canada border. They observed planting and growing practices for product destined for export to the Dominican Republic. The visit was part of a five year review by the DR Ministry of Agriculture of import standards and supplier practices. From Washington State, the DR officials traveled to four other regions of the country.

As a result of the trip, the DR Ministry of Agriculture is expected to sign a new market access agreement with USDA for the commodity which will ensure shipments do not encounter difficulties when exported to the DR.

During the week of June 14, Josh Weiner toured a group of Korean journalists and educators through Eastern Washington agricultural production areas. The delegation included representatives from Korea’s most renowned media outlets. The Director and a Marketing Specialist from the U.S. Agricultural Trade Office in Seoul, Korea also participated in the tour. The tour provided influential members of the Korean food and beverage community with an education on the diverse group of agricultural products produced within the region, as well as the high standards maintained by both growers and processors.

Korea is a high potential market for agricultural exports. It is currently the fifth largest market for U.S. agricultural products and U.S. market share is expected to increase after implementation of the Korea – U.S. Free Trade Agreement. The rising affluence of consumers coupled with consumers’ emphasis on high-quality, healthy foods is expected to make Korea one of the top agricultural export markets for the foreseeable future.

On the week of May 17, BCI’s Michael Schadler led a delegation of U.S. hop industry members to the XIX International Beer Forum in Sochi, Russia. As the third largest beer producing country in the world, and a relatively small importer of American hops, Russia is a potentially large growth market for the U.S. hop industry.

While at the forum, the group staffed an exhibition booth, distributed hop samples, and met with Russian breweries and hop merchants. The delegation also conducted a seminar for attending brewers, which discussed the American hop industry, the U.S. craft beer sector, and brewing with American hop varieties. Michael Schadler led the presentation on the hop industry, while the U.S. hop industry’s brewing consultant – Matt Brynildson of California’s Firestone Walker Brewery – led the brewing portion of the seminar.

The trip allowed the U.S. hop industry to make many new contacts and to gain a better understanding of the Russian beer industry and hop trade.

During the week of May 10, BCI marketing account manager Alicia Manseau attended the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s 85th Annual Convention and Trade Show in Vancouver, Canada.

CPMA is Canada’s largest trade show dedicated to the fruit and vegetable industry. The annual Convention and Trade Show combines business and networking opportunities, keynote speakers, and informational sessions and workshops. Exhibitors include all major stakeholders in the produce supply chain, including the retail/wholesale and food service sectors.

While there, Alicia met with Canadian produce importers and retail contacts and toured retail outlets throughout Vancouver.

From April 30 to May 9th, BCI President James Christie led a trade mission to India to explore market opportunities for a U.S. processed food product. The mission included visits with importers, retailers, and other members of the food trade in the cities of New Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai.

Exports of U.S. high-value food products to India are on the rise driven by India’s growing middle class, increasing urbanization, steady transformation of the retail food sector, and a growing hotel/restaurant/institutional sector. The trade mission identified a number of opportunities that will be explored further during the coming year.

(From left) US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Matt Lantz and Eric Rosenberg

On Monday, May 3, BCI staff members Eric Rosenberg, Matt Lantz, and Wendy Dang participated in a meeting with Association of South East Asian (ASEAN) foreign trade ministers. The meeting was organized to discuss trade and investment opportunities in the Southeast Asian nations. BCI used the opportunity to speak with officials from many of the countries present regarding their trade policies and specific trade barriers US exporters are facing.

The forum was hosted by the US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, who spoke about US trade policy objectives including advancing the World Trade Organization talks, implementing the signed free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama, and how to better enforce current trade agreements to the benefit of US exports.

BCI Chairman Bill Bryant and policy analyst Sven-Erik Nielsen recently participated in the 42nd annual meeting of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) in Xi'an, China.

Mr. Bryant and Mr. Nielsen attended in support of the US delegation as the CCPR discussed and recommended Codex maximum residue level (MRLs) for crop protection products. In addition to specific MRLs, the Committee deliberated on several critical policy issues, including a pilot project aimed at encouraging harmonization between Codex and national member state standards.

Recognized as an international standards setting body by the WTO, Codex plays an important role in the effort to ensure that international agricultural trade standards are transparent and based on sound science.

From April 19-22, Matt Lantz, BCI’s Director of Market Access/Chemical Technical Services, traveled to Mexico City to support US-Mexican government market access talks. The talks, the first in several years devoted specifically to a commodity, focused on differences in pests between the two markets and next steps in the negotiations process.

USDA and their Mexican counterparts will exchange positions in the weeks ahead and follow up negotiations are expected to occur later in the summer.

While in Mexico City, Mr. Lantz also met with officials in the US Embassy to prepare for upcoming US-Mexico Cooperative Committee on Agriculture talks scheduled for May 13 in Cancun.

During the week of April 12, BCI marketing team members Alicia Manseau and Mike Rucier traveled to Japan and Korea to meet with cherry importers and retailers. In Tokyo and Osaka, Alicia and Mike addressed more than 160 trade members, the trade press, and U.S. government officials during a formal technical seminar and reception. They announced the 2010 international marketing program for California cherries and provided an update on the industry's current crop situation.

Mike and Alicia then traveled to Seoul, where they discussed upcoming marketing promotions and identified potential opportunities with leading cherry importers and retailers. They also toured several retail outlets and the Garak fresh produce wholesale market, the largest in South Korea.

Matt Lantz with Egyptian growers north of Cairo

From March 12-18, 2010, BCI staff member Matt Lantz traveled to Cairo, Egypt to participate in the inaugural plant health bilateral negotiations between the US Department of Agriculture and their Egyptian counterparts.

Mr. Lantz traveled to the meeting with the goal of opening the Egyptian market for a US commodity export. During the visit, he had the opportunity to travel with the US negotiators and Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture officials to visit several Egyptian farming operations producing citrus, grapes, cut flowers, and potatoes.

Mr. Lantz also met with major Egyptian importers during a reception hosted by the US Embassy’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

Additional market access discussions will occur as a result of the meetings in Egypt.

BCI marketing account manager Alicia Manseau attended the ANTAD Trade Expo in Guadalajara, Mexico, representing a California industry that exports produce to that market.

ANTAD is an industry association which represents the interests of its Mexican grocery store members. The annual ANTAD Expo is the largest trade show of its kind in Mexico, attracting Mexico’s leading food and beverage producers, retailers, and wholesale distributors.

While there, Alicia met with Mexican produce importers and retail contacts and toured retail outlets throughout Guadalajara.

From February 15-18, 2010, Matt Lantz, BCI manager for market access, traveled to Monterrey Mexico to participate in the North American Plant Protection Organization’s (NAPPO) Potato Panel meeting. This annual meeting brings together the plant quarantine agencies of the US, Canada, and Mexico to discuss plant health issues and trade. In addition to government officials, industry representatives from each of the countries participate.

The meeting focused on revising the NAPPO regional standard for potatoes (RSPM-3), which is evaluated every five years. The participants reviewed the draft standard and made recommendations based on recent developments and sound science. It is expected that the prepared draft will be shared with the NAPPO Executive Committee in March and then finalized at the NAPPO annual meeting held in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada in October.

From February 3-5, 2010, BCI staff members Mike Rucier and Josh Weiner participated in the Fruit Logistica trade show in Berlin, Germany. Fruit Logistica is the single largest fresh produce event in the world. Mr. Rucier and Mr. Weiner represented US produce industries at the event and met with numerous importers, distributors, and retailers interested in importing US fruits and vegetables. Additionally, Mr. Rucier and Mr. Weiner met Philip D. Murphy, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, during the Ambassador’s visit to the USA Pavilion at Fruit Logistica.

While in Berlin, Mr. Rucier and Mr. Weiner also took the opportunity to meet with officials from the US Mission to the European Union, who are based in Brussels. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss opportunities for temporary suspension of EU tariffs on US agricultural products which are not currently produced within the European Union. The US Mission provided information on the EU system to apply for such a suspension and recommendations for how to proceed with such an effort. BCI will relay this information to interested parties in the US.

Prior to attendance of Fruit Logistica, Mr. Rucier participated in the ISM Trade Fair in Cologne, Germany. ISM is the largest confectionary trade event in the world.

On January 13, 2010 in Washington, DC, BCI's Market Access Director, Matt Lantz provided an update on the pesticide regulatory and maximum residue level situation in several Asian export markets. Differing MRL tolerances are creating trade disruptions for US agricultural exports. Mr. Lantz reported on a Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Japanese governments regarding how Japan will address MRL violations on US product. The agreement was signed in July 2009, but it appears the two sides may have differing interpretations of its implementation. He also reported on a recent trip to Taiwan, where US loads are no longer being detained, but the underlying regulatory situation remains unchanged, so the situation remains potentially problematic. Mr. Lantz also provided updates on Hong Kong, Thailand, and Indonesia's recent agreement to implement Codex MRLs.

The Minor Crop Farmer's Alliance (MCFA) is a coalition of US minor crop producers that work together cooperatively to address regulatory issues that might affect production and sales. The group is voluntary and meets several times a year in Washington, DC and elsewhere as needed to address pending issues.

Michael Schadler recently traveled to Mexico to conduct interviews with producers, seed companies, wholesalers and other stakeholders of the country’s protected culture tomato industry. These meetings and interviews were held in Culiacan, Monterrey, Guanajuato, and Queretaro. Over the last ten years Mexico has become one of the leading producers of protected crop horticulture in the world. The information gathered from the meetings will be used to forecast the effect that this increasing production will have on tomato trade in North America.

Matt Lantz, Kimberly Berry, and Jeremy Bishop in front of the Canadian Parliament at the NAFTA TWG Meeting in Ottawa

From December 6-9, BCI staff members, Matt Lantz, Jeremy Bishop, and Kimberly Berry traveled to Ottawa, Canada to participate in the annual NAFTA Technical Working Group Meeting on Pesticides. This meeting brings together regulatory officials from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, along with grower groups and crop protection registrants to discuss areas of cooperation and harmonization between the three countries. Issues discussed during the visit included the U.S.-Canada Grower Priority Database, which BCI maintains on behalf of the U.S. and Canadian governments, NAFTA labels, wood product needs, resistance management, and the 3-5 year plan for the meeting.

During the meeting, BCI staffers met with Canadian government officials and grower groups, along with U.S. EPA officials and registrants. The next NAFTA meeting will be held in Mexico in the early winter of 2010.

Bryant Christie’s market access group recently secured initial approval from the United Kingdom’s Chemicals Regulation Directorate for a European import tolerance for a US-approved fungicide. The import tolerance was secured as part of a joint effort between BCI, a US commodity group, and an international crop protection product manufacturer. Import tolerances help to bridge the gap between the increasingly different regulatory environment for pesticides in the US and EU. BCI specializes in assisting private companies and trade associations navigate increasingly complex international regulatory environments with a focus on trade.

BCI’s Sven-Erik Nielsen recently moderated a panel on emerging non-tariff barriers at the U.S. Agricultural Export Develop Council’s annual meeting in Baltimore. The panel discussed non-tariff barriers to trade that are likely to challenge agricultural exports in the coming years, including product health claim approvals, carbon footprint labeling, and sustainability standards. Panelists included a broad array of agricultural interests, including commodity trade associations, food processors, and crop protection product manufacturers. The panel helped to highlight the increasingly technical, complex, and amorphous nature of emerging non-tariff barriers to trade.

Michael Schadler was recently invited by the U.S. Grains Council to speak at the Latin American Regional Malt and Malting Barley Conference in the Dominican Republic. While the event concentrated on malt and malting barley, the U.S. Grains Council also wanted to provide conference attendees with an update on the global hop market. Michael, who manages international marketing efforts for U.S. hop growers on behalf of BCI, gave a presentation on developments in the U.S. hop industry and the volatility of the global hop market over the last few years. The conference was attended by brewery representatives from Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic, as well as U.S. malting companies and barley industry representatives.

From October 24-30, BCI President James Christie traveled to Vladivostok, Russia to explore export market opportunities for BCI clients. “The experience left me with a much better understanding of the constraints and opportunities for U.S. exporters in Russia’s Far East,” said Christie.

During the trip, Mr. Christie met with a number of Russian produce importers, visited retailers, and explored Russia’s cold chain. Though considerable fresh fruit imports from China and South America were observed, Mr. Christie believes opportunities remain for U.S. based exporters who identify reliable partners and take advantage of favorable market windows during the year.

From October 19-22, 209, BCI President James Christie and BCI Manager for Trade Policy and Market Access Matt Lantz attended the 33rd Annual North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) meeting in Chicago.

NAPPO brings together the plant health agencies of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to discuss regional plant quarantine security. Commodity groups from each of the countries also participate in the meeting to assist with drafting regional standards that promote plant health and international trade.

Mr. Christie and Mr. Lantz attended several panels on fruit and vegetable market access and met with USDA negotiators on several bilateral Mexican issues during the meeting.

BCI, along with several clients, also hosted a reception during the meeting for all participants.

On October 20, BCI staff members Mike Rucier, Lisa Pang, and Alicia Manseau attended a round table discussion with FAS Administrator Mike Michener and Deputy Administrator for Office of Trade Programs Christian Foster. Hosted by the Wine Institute of California in San Francisco, 18 mostly California-based organizations were represented at the round table.

The purpose was for Administrator Michener to provide feedback on USDA's trade priories, the FAS Re-envisioning Process, and FAS' Global Market Strategy. There is concern that the focus of FAS might be shifting from export trade development to capacity building, climate change, and nutrition. Michener assured the group that agriculture trade remains FAS' top priority and despite increasing spending on developing the agricultural sectors in Afghanistan and Iraq, no resources are being diverted from FAS' core mission. Senator Lugar, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, and Secretary of State Clinton have all weighed in on this subject as well. As FAS finalizes its Global Market Strategy over the next year, priories should become more clear.

Before their trip to California, Michener and Foster were in the Midwest to attend similar roundtable discussions. In California, Michener and Foster also tour wineries, visited UC Davis, and Michener spoke at the California Renderers Association conference. The Administrator and his Deputy concluded their trip with a roundtable in Boulder, Colorado, hosted by the Brewers Association.

On September 15, 2009, BCI hosted a delegation of 18 officials from the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) at the firm’s Seattle office. The group of FAS junior professionals was visiting the Pacific Northwest as part of an annual training program that FAS offers. That program seeks to familiarize employees with agricultural production in different parts of the country, providing an understanding of their complete constituency as they continue launching their careers. Over the course of the week, the group visited with berry, apple, hop, wine, and potato producers in Washington State and Oregon, and fishing industry representatives in Seattle.

During the visit, BCI staff provided an overview of the firm and discussed the company’s work on behalf of its clients in the areas of market access, marketing, research and Internet services. BCI’s interaction with FAS was also stressed.

Following the discussion BCI held a reception for the visitors.

In early September, Michael Schadler led a tour showcasing the U.S. hop industry for international buyers. The tour hosted brewery representatives from China, Brazil, Russia, and Mexico. The group spent two days in Oregon and three days in Washington visiting hop farms, processing operations, and research facilities. The tour provided the brewery representatives with a chance to see this season’s harvest in action, and to discuss the global hop market with local growers and merchants. Washington and Oregon are the two largest hop growing states in the U.S. Together with Idaho, these three states produced 33 percent of the world’s hops in 2008. The group is pictured here in front of a load of baled hops.

BCI’s Sven-Erik Nielsen recently spoke at the Fall 2009 meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C. Sven-Erik provided an overview of recent developments in international pesticide residue policies in major export markets around the world and discussed how information sharing platforms can play an important role in ensuring that these changes occur in a harmonized and coordinated manner. As reform of food safety regulatory regimes occur around the world with increasing frequency, coordination with all stakeholders is key to ensuring that these changes results in robust systems that facilitate trade and ensure access to a safe supply of food.

During the week of August 10, Alicia Manseau met with fresh produce buyers and retailers in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. She discussed trade and consumer marketing promotions in wholesale markets and supermarkets in all three cities.

Alicia also attended the US Fresh Fruit Road Show in Mexico City, which has been a successful marketing activity involving several US fresh fruit products for the past four years. The Road Show is funded by the USDA's Global Broad-based Initiative (GBI) program which encourages cross-commodity projects that address common challenges and opportunities in international markets. The US Fresh Fruit Road Show highlights the nutritional value of nine US fresh fruit commodities through a mobile, interactive learning center in which children and their family learn about different varieties, recipes, availability, origin, and ripening techniques. This year, a nutritionist has been on-site to conduct individual consultations on how to incorporate more fruit into their daily diet. In addition, the Road Show has expanded and will visit schools, community centers, and supermarkets in new cities in Mexico to broaden the exposure of US fresh fruit.

In early August, Michael Schadler represented the U.S. hop industry at the International Hop Growers Convention’s Summer Congress in Strasbourg, France. Michael provided an update on the pre-harvest crop and hop market situation in the U.S. The International Hop Growers Convention holds meetings each April, August, and November to discuss issues affecting hop growing industries around the world. The membership of the IHGC is formed by hop growers associations from 20 countries, as well as by a number of private industry organizations. Michael is part of the U.S. delegation that attends these IHGC meetings.

BCI held its annual summer staff retreat on July 23-24 at the University of Washington’s Pack Forest near Mt. Rainier. We were pleased to welcome four new participants to this year’s retreat. Specifically, 2009 marked the first retreat for Erin Poffenbaugh and Alicia Manseau though both were hired last year for the Seattle and Sacramento offices respectively. We also welcomed Tony Bentley, BCI’s new Web Developer and IT Assistant, and Matt O’Mara from O’Mara & Associates in Washington D.C., who is working with BCI on some market access and government relations projects. The retreat offered a needed break from summer travel and work schedules while providing an opportunity to discuss new BCI services and resource allocation for the remainder of 2009 and 2010.

BCI International Market Access/Trade Policy Manager Matt Lantz with Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire

Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire attended the American Potato Trade Alliance (APTA) reception in Washington, DC on June 4. APTA retains Bryant Christie Inc. to address international trade issues facing the US processed potato industry and administer the organization between biannual meetings. The governor, in Washington, DC with a delegation of state agricultural leaders, spoke to US potato growers, processors, and quick service restaurant officials. She stressed efforts to address recent tariffs imposed by Mexico on US frozen fries and the effort to harmonize international agricultural standards.

BCI marketing account manager Alicia Manseau joined other members of California Women for Agriculture at the dedication of the WE Garden in Capitol Park in Sacramento, California on May 22, 2009. At the event, celebrity chefs Guy Fieri and Alice Waters and Secretary A.G. Kawamura of the California Department of Food and Agriculture joined California first lady Maria Shriver to unveil the first edible garden at any state capitol in the nation. The 30-foot-diameter circle garden was designed to inspire schoolchildren to learn about food and nutrition as well as agriculture. The first crop will include tomatoes, garbanzo beans, zucchini, beets, sunflowers, and cilantro. The food harvested will be donated to local food banks. The event also featured a food fair with free samples, cooking demonstrations, and hands-on activities.

In early May 2009, BCI president James Christie, his wife Sally, and daughter Anne participated in an educational mission to Egypt with students from the River Delta Unified School District in California. The group visited historic sites in Cairo and along the Nile River as part an effort to educate young students about world history and culture. This was the tenth trip for the “International Studies Program” organized by Reina Riebe of Walnut Grove Elementary. BCI is a sponsor of the program as part of its ongoing global commitment effort.

Matt Lantz with the US industry delegation and the Chief of the agricultural section of the American Institute of Taiwan.

During the week of April 26, BCI Market Access/Chemical and Technical Services Director Matt Lantz traveled with a US industry delegation to Taipei to address a potential trade barrier arising from differing regulatory standards between Taiwan and the US.

During the trip, Mr. Lantz and the delegation met with Taiwan’s Office of Trade Negotiations, Department of Health, Council of Agriculture, the American Institute of Taiwan, and officials from the Taiwan Importer’s Association. The delegation also traveled to the port of Keelung to meet with Taiwan Customs officials and better understand the Taiwanese inspection procedure for imported food products.

As a result of the meeting, the Taiwanese and US governments committed to continue to seek to address the potential trade dispute to avoid a trade disruption over the summer.

Michael Schadler presented an update on the status of the 2009 hop growing season to attendees of the International Hop Growers Convention (IHGC) in Paris. The IHGC holds meetings each April, August, and November to discuss issues affecting hop growing industries around the world. The membership of the IHGC is formed by hop growers associations from 20 countries, as well as by a number of private industry organizations. Michael is part of the U.S. delegation that attends these IHGC meetings.

On March 31, 2009, Wendy Dang, a member of BCI's marketing and research teams attended a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) workshop presented by the Washington Technology Center. The SBIR grant program, which is designed to incorporate small high-tech innovative businesses in the nation’s research and development efforts, is administered through 11 federal agencies. Funded SBIR projects in the past have led to technological advancements in the agricultural industry, among many other fields including health, national defense, and the environment. The session focused on the cost proposal and accounting skills necessary for SBIR award applications. Attendants were presented with various proposal formats among a range of Federal agencies that administer the SBIR grant.

Matt Lantz with members of USDA/APHIS, Russia’s quarantine division (VPSS), and US commodity group representatives.

From March 16-17, 2009, Matt Lantz of BCI’s Market Access group, participated in a US Department of Agriculture hosted visit for a senior delegation from Russia’s quarantine division (VPSS). The Russian delegation traveled to Portland, Oregon and vicinity to review a US agricultural industry prior to negotiating a market access agreement for the commodity.

On March 18, USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and VPSS signed an agreement that granted market access to Russia for the US commodity. The agreement was the first of its kind between the two plant health organizations. During the visit, Mr. Lantz traveled with the delegation and provided support to the industry members and APHIS during the negotiations. BCI is pleased with the results of the talks and to have contributed to the positive steps taken between the US and Russia. BCI also thanks the dedicated efforts of APHIS and the industry for their hard work associated with this successful trip.

James Christie with two fruit growers in Yantai

BCI President James Christie led a trade delegation to China during the week of March 1, 2009. The trip included a group of U.S. fruit producers and exporters and included visits to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and Yantai. The purpose of the trip was to investigate opportunities in China as a customer and to assess China’s short and long-term capabilities as a competitor of U.S. agricultural products. The mission included visits to wholesale and retail markets, USDA agricultural trade offices, and the fruit production areas of Yantai in Shandong province.

BCI marketing account managers Alicia Manseau and Michael Schadler participated in the ANTAD Trade Expo in Guadalajara, Mexico, representing two California industries that export produce to Mexico.

ANTAD is an industry association which represents the interests of its Mexican grocery store members. The annual ANTAD Expo is the largest trade show of its kind in Mexico, attracting leading food and beverage producers, as well as Mexico’s major supermarket chains and wholesale distributors.

On behalf of BCI’s clients, Michael and Alicia met with various Mexican buyers at the trade fair and at the Guadalajara wholesale market.

Mike Rucier, BCI’s manager of international marketing recently toured the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Western Human Nutrition Research Center (WHNRC) at UC Davis. The WHNRC is one of the premier research facilities in the United States that is exploring the bioactivity of phytonutrients.

Increasingly, consumers want more information about the health benefits of the foods they eat. Further, trade and consumer publications are more likely to provide publicity for a product if health information is included. For this reason, health research and communication are becoming critical strategies in the market development efforts of many agricultural products.

Mike is currently working with Dr. Darshan Kelley, a research chemist at USDA-ARS-WHNRC, and an adjunct professor in the Department of Nutrition, UCD, on a research proposal to examine the bioactivity of a particular fresh fruit. Results of the study should pave the way for additional research while providing important information that can be incorporated into the public relations campaigns in target markets around the world.

During the week of February 23, 2009, BCI marketing staff members Alicia Manseau and Mike Rucier attended an International Representative Conference for a major California agricultural industry. During the conference, Mike and Alicia updated the group on staffing and policy changes at the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and gave a seminar on international fraud prevention. Representatives from Asia, Europe, and Central and South America participated in the conference. Mike and Alicia also attended an educational symposium for industry members during the week. At the symposium, several researchers presented on topics relating to growing techniques, including irrigation strategies in drought conditions and the use of new technology in orchards and packing facilities. They also toured several packing facilities and orchards throughout the area.

On January 21, 2009, Michele Silbey and Alicia Manseau attended a USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) seminar in Olympia, Washington. 

 

The VAPG program helps agricultural producers increase their returns by adding value to an agricultural commodity.  Applicants submit a grant proposal for either a grant for a feasibility study on an intended new product/marketing strategy or a working capital grant to launch a new product. 

 

Michele spoke to the group about BCI’s first-hand experiences in assisting clients with this grant program.  In the past year alone, BCI has helped its clients secure over half a million dollars in grant funding under this program.

BCI account manager, Michael Schadler, spent much of December and January conducting educational seminars at breweries in Brazil, Russia and China on behalf of an agricultural client, which provides strategic raw materials for the brewing process.  

 

The seminars were aimed at both procurement and technical staff in an effort to increase U.S. exports to these key brewing markets.  Michael was accompanied by brewing consultant, Ray Daniels, who helped with technical components related to the brewing process.

From December 7 to December 12, 2008, BCI’s Manager for Chemical and Technical Services, Matt Lantz, traveled to Cheju Island, Korea to provide support to the US Department of Agriculture negotiating team for the annual plant health bilateral negotiations.  Several of Bryant Christie Inc.’s clients had market access issues being addressed during these talks.  The three day negotiations addressed Korean plant quarantine concerns regarding imports of U.S. fruits and vegetables.  Limited progress was made on several issues as a result of these talks.  

 

While in Korea, Mr. Lantz also met with the USDA staff in the U.S. Embassy in Seoul to discuss the Korean market and Korean regulatory issues affecting U.S. agricultural exports.  As a result of these discussions, U.S. industry groups are likely to comment on proposed Korean food labeling requirements.

 

The next U.S.-Korean bilateral negotiations will be held in late 2009 in the U.S.   

 

Bryant Christie Inc. appreciates the hospitality shown by the USDA negotiators and USDA officials in Korea.

 

On October 23-27, 2008, BCI marketing staff member Lisa Pang led a tour in California for a Japanese media group highlighting California’s agricultural industry. The media will be developing an eight-page spread in a popular consumer magazine in Japan, with publication expected in December. The group spent one day in the Santa Barbara area and four days in the Fresno area visiting local farmers markets, winegrape vineyards, fig orchards, raisin vineyards, citrus orchards, among other agricultural sites. The group also had opportunities to taste California-based cuisines using locally grown products at a number of restaurants in the area. The tour allowed the group to see the beauty and diversity of agricultural products available in California.

BCI’s Eric Rosenberg and Michael Schadler recently traveled to Orlando, FL to attend the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Fresh Summit Convention.

At PMA, Eric and Michael had the opportunity to meet with a number of BCI clients and international marketing representatives that attended the convention. They also met with foreign importers of U.S. fresh fruit related to a variety of research and market access projects on which the firm is now working.

Eric and Michael also represented the interests of BCI clients in a meeting of the U.S. Fresh Fruit Symposium. That symposium brings together horticultural and tropical product association representatives for meetings with USDA Foreign Agricultural Service officials to discuss global, broad-based initiatives that would favor the US produce sector.

From October 22 to October 23, BCI President James Christie and Chemical and Technical Services Director Matt Lantz attended the North American Plant Protection Organization’s annual meeting in Guadalajara, Mexico. NAPPO is an organization that brings together the plant quarantine divisions of the US Department of Agriculture, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and Mexico’s Dirección General Sanidad Vegetal (DGSV) to create regional standards to protect North American plants, including agriculture. During the meeting, Mr. Christie and Mr. Lantz met with individuals from USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIS) and with Mexico’s senior plant quarantine officials. During the NAPPO meeting, the U.S. and Mexico held bilateral technical discussions on several U.S. crops seeking expanded market access to Mexico. Mr. Christie and Mr. Lantz worked with BCI’s clients in attendance to obtain favorable outcomes from these negotiations. The next NAPPO annual meeting will be in Chicago in October 2009.

On October 1, 2008, Matt Lantz, BCI’s Director of Chemical and Technical Services, moderated and spoke at the AgChem Forum Conference in Berlin, Germany.  Mr. Lantz spoke about how recent European pesticide regulatory changes are affecting exports of US agriculture to Europe.  He noted that several US commodity groups are following this transition closely and are seeking harmonized maximum residue levels (MRL) between the European Union and the United States.  He also went on to explain US commodity groups welcome a single, harmonized MRL list throughout Europe, as was enacted on September 1, 2008; however, varying specific tolerances between the US and Europe is causing concern.  In addition to his presentation, Mr. Lantz moderated several sessions throughout the day on EU pesticide regulations.

 

The trip also provided an opportunity to meet with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (DG-SANCO) in Brussels and the US Embassy to the EU, to discuss next steps regarding EU pesticide regulatory affairs and their affect on US farming exports.

During the week of September 8, 2008, BCI President James Christie attended the annual Asia Fruit Congress in Hong Kong.  He is pictured Joseph R. Donovan Jr., U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong (third from left), Philip A. Shull, Director of the Agricultural Trade Office in Hong Kong (far left), and two representatives of the Great Food Hall retail chain.  While in Hong Kong, James also chaired the inaugural U.S. Fruit Strategic Symposium. The symposium was organized to identify challenges and opportunities for U.S. fruit exporters to the Asian region and included over twenty U.S. marketing representatives from throughout the region.  

On Monday August 18, Bryant Christie Inc. officially moved its Seattle headquarters. After nine years in Seattle’s historic Joshua Green Building, BCI has moved two blocks away to the Logan Building.  The company’s new Seattle address is 500 Union Street, Suite 701, Seattle, WA 98101.  The phone and fax numbers did not change.  Parking is available adjacent to the building in the City Centre parking garage.

The new space was designed and built to resemble BCI’s former office while allowing for future growth.  We invite clients and friends to visit the new office on their next stop through Seattle.  

BCI Staff Members Matt Lantz, Michele Silbey, and Mike Rucier at Cape Blanco Lighthouse in Oregon after touring berry farms.

During the week of August 25, 2008, BCI staffers Mike Rucier, Michele Silbey, and Matt Lantz traveled to Bandon, Oregon to provide an assessment of the international situation for a major berry crop.  Mr. Rucier and Ms. Silbey discussed international marketing projects and results, while Mr. Lantz reviewed international trade policy issues facing exports.  Exports for the product continue to grow through a combination of proactively addressing potential trade barriers and successfully marketing the commodity in 13 markets.  

 

During the week of July 14th, 2008, BCI marketing staff members attended the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council’s (USAEDC) annual attaché seminar in Bethesda, MD.  The annual seminar brings together U.S. agricultural industry representatives with members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) including USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s (FAS) attaches serving in key markets around the world.  The seminar provided BCI with the opportunity to meet with agricultural industry leaders and U.S. government officials on issues affecting agricultural, food, and beverage exports.  During the week, BCI also took the opportunity to hold private meetings with various government offices on BCI client issues.

 

USAEDC's approximately 80 members are U.S. commodity trade associations, farmer cooperatives and state regional trade groups from around the country, representing the interests of growers and processors of a variety of U.S. agricultural products.  They have come together under the USAEDC umbrella to assist them in their export promotion efforts, specifically those in conjunction with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

 

On July 8, 2008, BCI staff member Matt Lantz gave a presentation in Mexico City on U.S. quarantine market access issues.  Present were officials from the Mexican retailers association, Mexican snack food processors, Mexican wholesale importers, and officials from the U.S. Embassy and USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) office.  The speech addressed Mexican quarantine concerns regarding U.S. agricultural imports as the Mexican government is reviewing its federal regulations.  Additional negotiations on this issue are expected in the upcoming months.

June 20-21, fourteen of BCI’s employees participated in their annual staff retreat, which took place at Crystal Mountain Lodge on Mt. Rainier.  The annual retreat is an opportunity to recap the previous year’s activities and identify how we can improve the quality of service we provide our clients.  The theme of this year’s retreat was “Maintaining Quality, Encouraging Growth, and Preserving Culture”.

The first week in May, Michele Silbey and Eric Rosenberg helped organize and lead a tour showcasing the Washington State wine industry for 76 buyers from 20 different countries in Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, and North America.  The tour spent four and a half days in Washington visiting wineries and vineyards of those producers who are actively exporting or are interested in exporting their products.  The tour provided the international buyers with a chance to learn about the state’s unique growing conditions, see Washington’s prominent American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), meet pioneering winemakers, and taste all varieties of wine grown in Washington State.  Washington is the second-largest wine grape producing state in the U.S.

BCI Chairman Bill Bryant and BCI's chemical and technical services analyst Sven-Erik Nielsen travelled to Hangzhou, China, to participate in the 40^th annual meeting of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR).  The CCPR is a multilateral body of risk managers charged with establishing international pesticide residue standards.  Mr. Bryant and Mr. Nielsen participated in the CCPR meeting on behalf of several clients, ensuring that their priorities were effectively communicated to both regulators and crop protection product manufacturers.  Additionally, several critical policy issues were discussed at the meeting, including international regulation of zero-residue crop protection products and Codex’s role in ensuring an internationally coordinated approach to the regulation of pesticide residues.

On Wednesday, April 9, Matt Lantz, BCI’s Director of Chemical & Technical Services, spoke at the Regulation of Crop Protection Chemicals in the U.S. conference in Washington, DC. 

Informa Life Sciences and CropLife America sponsored the conference.  As a representative of U.S. agricultural groups, Mr. Lantz’s presentation focused on international crop protection regulations and how they are affecting exports of U.S. commodities.  He cited the need for U.S. commodity groups to work closely and proactively with the U.S. government and registrants to avoid unintentional international trade barriers.  In his presentation, Mr. Lantz cited examples of how differing regulations are affecting exports and reviewed the changing pesticide regulatory systems for several important export markets. 

On February 27-March 1, 2008, BCI staff member Matt Lantz traveled to New Orleans to participate in the U.S.-China technical bilateral talks on plant health.  These talks occur annually and address plant health concerns between the two countries.  Mr. Lantz attended on behalf of several BCI clients seeking improved market access to China.  Issues such as removal of pest trapping requirements, completion of pest risk assessments, expansion of existing market access, and approval of additional ports of entry into China were all covered in the talks.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plath Health Inspection Service (APHIS) led the U.S. delegation.

Additional bilateral negotiations will occur in early 2009 in China. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) on March 7, 2008 launched an expanded online Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) database to include 426 pesticide and veterinary drug residue tolerances in major export markets for hay, feed, grains, oilseeds, poultry, eggs, meat and dairy.  The database, which became available in 2000 and previously only included fruits and vegetables, is a ready reference tool for researching U.S. and foreign maximum residue limits for chemicals in raw agricultural commodities.

 

The database, which receives approximately 3,000 visits per month primarily from the U.S. specialty crop industry, allows exporters to select markets to compare foreign tolerances to U.S. limits, searching by crop or by chemical.  

 

Bryant Christie Inc. (BCI) maintains the MRL Database for USDA and EPA. BCI’s Chemical and Technical Services group and Research and Internet Services group have worked for over a year preparing for the expansion. 

 

At the request of USDA and EPA, BCI officials are also presenting the expanded MRL Database to commodity groups throughout the country this spring. 

 

The MRL Database is an effective tool for US agriculture growers and shippers to avoid trade disruptions. The database is available online at http://www.mrldatabase.com.

 

Lisa Pang and Michael Schadler recently traveled to the ANTAD Trade Expo in Guadalajara, Mexico to represent two California industries that export produce to Mexico. 

ANTAD is an industry association representing the interests of its Mexican grocery store members.  The annual ANTAD Expo is the largest trade show of its kind in Mexico, attracting leading food and beverage producers, as well as Mexico’s major supermarket chains and wholesale distributors.

 

On behalf of BCI’s clients, Michael and Lisa met with various Mexican buyers at the trade fair and at the Guadalajara wholesale market.

Wendy Dang joined BCI in September 2007 as a member of their International Marketing and Research group.  Ms. Dang conducts research and prepares customized reports on international trade and production.  She also assists BCI's marketing team with Unified Export Strategy (UES) and other grant related activities.

 

Prior to joining BCI, Wendy worked abroad for a Mexican marketing firm, Grupo PM, promoting US agricultural associations. After returning from Mexico, Wendy supported international philanthropy groups at williamsworks, a strategic advocacy agency.  During her undergraduate education she studied immigration and farming issues in Costa Rica. She has also spoken publicly on behalf of the University of Washington on the importance of overseas experiences including testifying before the Senate Economic Development, Trade & Management Committee.

 

Wendy is a graduate of the University of Washington Business School where she studied Marketing and Entrepreneurship with a Certificate of International Studies in Business. She is fluent in Spanish and oral Cantonese Chinese.

 

During the week of December 3, BCI Chairman Bill Bryant, along with BCI staff members Matt Lantz and Sven-Erik Nielsen attended the Minor Use Summit in Rome.  This meeting, sponsored by USDA, Interregional Number Four (IR-4) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sought to address a growing problem for specialty product international trade: differing crop protection residue standards in markets around the world.  As exports of fruits and vegetables are growing internationally, shipments are increasingly facing challenges because standards in one market differ from another.  These differences can result in shipments being rejected.  Recent regulatory changes in Japan, Taiwan, Canada, and Europe have highlighted international attention on this issue.   Government officials, crop protection registrants, and grower groups from over 30 countries met in Rome at the conference to determine ways to ensure exports of specialty crops continue without trade irritation.

During the summit, Bill Bryant chaired a session on data sharing as a means of promoting harmonization.  The group focused on available information and potential databases that either exist or should be created.  Matt Lantz, BCI’s Chemical and Technical Services director, spoke to the conference about the USDA-EPA International Maximum Residue Level (MRL) Database, which BCI hosts.

During the week of November 26, Matt Lantz and Sven-Erik Nielsen of BCI’s Chemical and Technical Services division traveled to Europe as part of a Minor Crop Farmer Alliance delegation to discuss pending changes to the EU's pesticide tolerance policies.  These changes could affect US agricultural shippers.  During the week, Mr. Lantz and Mr. Nielsen met with the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium and with the European Food Safety Authority in Parma, Italy.  The pair also met with European private sector counterparts following the policy debate and officials from the US Mission to the European Union. 

The EU is in the process of harmonizing all pesticide Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) at the community-wide level, as opposed to having one set of EU MRLs and allowing member states to maintain their own tolerances.  While a single EU list will be beneficial in the long term, there are many issues associated with the regulatory change that need to be managed.  The policy is expected to be implemented in mid- to late 2008.  BCI will continue to follow this issue closely for the next year.

Shown here are BCI Staffers Sven Erik Nielsen (left) and Matt Lantz (third from left) with Dr. Bas Drukker (center), Administrator of the Consumer Protection Directorate-General's Chemicals, Contaminants & Pesticides Unit at the European Commission, and officials from the Minor Crop Farmer Alliance and US Mission

Negotiators from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) and the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) met in Seattle during the week of October 15 to conduct market access negotiations involving a number of US and Japanese agricultural products.  Bryant Christie Inc. worked with US negotiators during the week to ensure its clients’ interests were appropriately represented.  Pictured at right are Sven-Erik Nielsen (BCI) seated at dinner with Masashi Kaneda, Chief Quarantine Officer, Yokohama Plant Protection Station (MAFF).

Kimberly Berry joined BCI's Seattle office in September 2007 and is currently a member of BCI’s Chemical and Technical Services Group.  Her roles include monitoring chemical residue regulations, researching chemical and technical issues, and maintaining on-line research databases.

 

Prior to joining BCI, Kimberly was a U.S. Navy officer working as a foreign political and military policy analyst.  She provided support for operations in world regions such as the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Mediterranean and also worked in Washington, D.C. with the Office of Naval Intelligence.

 

She recently obtained her Master of Public Administration with an emphasis on foreign policy and global trade from the University of Washington, and is also a graduate from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations.

On Thursday, September 27, 2007, Matt Lantz, BCI Trade Policy Specialist, joined officials from the Washington State Department of Agriculture during a visit by Mr. Mario Puente, the Director of Phytosanitary Regulations for Mexico’s quarantine service.  Mr. Puente traveled to Washington State at the invitation of the Director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. 

During his visit, Mr. Puente reviewed Washington agriculture production including visits to orchards and fruit packing sheds.  He also visited potato and onion fields, storage, and packing facilities. 

Mr. Lantz accompanied Mr. Puente during the second day of the visit and addressed questions on growing, harvesting, storage, packing, phytosanitary inspections, and export.

W. Kirk Miller, USDA FAS

On Monday, September 24, BCI hosted Kirk Miller, General Sales Manager, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Mark Slupek (Program Policy Staff) and representatives from USDA cooperator organizations at its Seattle office for an FAS listening session.  Among other topics, the listening session covered issues related to Market Access Program regulations, the FAS reorganization, FAS staffing, and audits/compliance.  

In September, Michael Schadler and Mike Rucier helped organize and lead a tour showcasing the U.S. hop industry for representatives of six different multinational breweries.  The tour spent two days in Oregon and three days in Washington visiting hop farms, processing facilities, and hop inspection laboratories.  The tour provided the brewery representatives with a chance to see this season’s harvest in action, and to discuss the global hop market with local growers and merchants.  Washington’s Yakima Valley and Oregon’s Willamette Valley are the two largest hop growing regions in the U.S.  

BCI led two export symposia for processed products in New York and Chicago in July 2007.  BCI’s James Christie, Amy Thompson, and Eric Rosenberg teamed with Athena Marketing International in presenting resources and techniques to identify opportunities and expand export sales in new and existing international markets.  Discussions focused on the resources available to exporters, including in-country resources such as the embassies and USDA Agricultural Trade Offices, as well as reliable Internet sources.  Several markets of interest were also highlighted with a review of key demographic and consumer trends.

From June 11-15, Matt Lantz, BCI Trade Policy Specialist, arranged and hosted a delegation from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) to review biotechnology developments in US agriculture.  The Japanese government is reviewing its biotechnology labeling requirements and was interested in gathering information to supplement a visit that occurred in 2002 when the regulations were initially drafted.  During the visit, the MAFF officials visited US farms and spoke with growers and food processors to learn more about identity preservation and handling operations.   

Amy Thompson met with produce buyers of major Mexican retail chains the week of June 18.  Many Mexican retailers continue to express a desire to pursue direct business with US suppliers, although fresh procurement continues to be closely tied to importer/wholesalers in key terminal markets.  New investments in infrastructure, including a new master warehouse for Gigante in Mexico City, provide further opportunities for direct purchase and handling of perishable products.  

Mexican retailers continue to expand their operations to new areas, with Soriana and Walmart leading the pack.  For example, Soriana’s “Mercado Soriana” format has enabled for greater expansion in the outskirts of Mexico City, where opportunities are favorable, but buying power is modest.  Meanwhile, Gigante has focused more on increasing same-store sales through a series of “re-openings” whereby older stores have been remodeled and updated. 

BCI President James Christie visited Canada with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as part of the Governor’s trade mission held May 28-June 1, 2007.  

The mission included stops in Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Colombia. The purpose of the mission was to promote trade and foster relations between California and Canada.  

On May 30-31, BCI staff members Matt Lantz, Sven-Erik Nielsen, and Jeremy Bishop participated in a two-day international issues workshop held by the California Specialty Crop Council.  In addition to presenting attendees an overview of emerging pesticide regulatory issues in Pacific Rim countries, BCI discussed numerous international trade issues with regulatory officials, crop protection product registrants, and commodity groups. 

BCI was also on hand to provide an advance preview of the forthcoming expanded USDA Foreign Agricultural Service MRL Database.  The FAS MRL Database serves as an export tool for US growers and shippers by providing comparisons of domestic and foreign regulations on chemical residues in food and is available at http://www.mrldatabase.com.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has appointed Amy Thompson to its Advisory Committee on Emerging Markets.  Committee members were selected on the basis of experience in international agriculture, trade and marketing in emerging market economies.  

This committee reviews funding proposals under the Emerging Markets Program and advises USDA on private-sector efforts to enhance food and rural business systems in developing countries. 

Eric Rosenberg attended SIAL China May 10-12, 2007, representing one US agricultural trade association in its efforts to expand distribution in China.  During SIAL, Eric met with a variety of food/beverage importers and distributors covering regions throughout China, and with a number of key contacts interested in US products from other regional markets. 

Associated with this visit, Eric also coordinated a promotional dinner featuring US beverage and shellfish products.  Over 70 Shanghai-based trade and media, along with USDA Foreign Agricultural Service officials, attended the dinner.

From May 7-11, 2007 Bill Bryant (BCI Chairman) and  Matt Lantz (BCI Chemical and Technical Services) attended the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) meeting in Beijing.  This meeting occurs annually to establish internationally acceptable chemical residue standards.  Bill Bryant serves as a public member of the US Codex Pesticide Delegation.  Throughout the week, BCI worked with officials from the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies to seek the establishment of maximum residue levels acceptable to US grower groups. 

The meeting also provided an opportunity to meet individually with regulatory officials from numerous countries including Japan, China, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa.  The next CCPR meeting will again be held in Beijing in April 2008.

Mike Rucier, a member of BCI's marketing team, recently traveled to Germany on behalf of the Cranberry Marketing Committee to meet with the governing board of the European Society of Infection in Urology.  The board members were gathering for the European Association of Urologists conference in Berlin the week of March 19, 2007. 

 

Mike oversaw the organization of a dinner and education program about the health benefits of cranberries in preventing urinary tract infections.   Europe is the US cranberry industry's largest export market.  This meeting presented a rare opportunity to reach several key influencers in Europe's medical community.

On Monday, April 2, 2007, Bryant Christie Inc.'s Chemical and Technical Services Group hosted a meeting of the Minor Crop Farmers' Alliance Subcommittee on Canada.  Individuals representing agricultural groups from California, Florida, and the Pacific Northwest participated.  The meeting reviewed the latest developments on Canada's changing pesticide regulations and how any changes might affect US agricultural exports.  

In addition to reviewing harmonization priorities for US commodities, the meeting also included a call with the Canadian Horticultural Council regarding their crop protection priorities with the Canadian government.  

BCI Chairman Bill Bryant, along with Matt Lantz and Sven-Erik Nielsen participated in the meeting.

During the week of March 19, 2007, BCI President James Christie traveled to Seoul, South Korea to provide support for US negotiators in the US-South Korea Free Trade Agreement negotiations.  Over the course of the talks that week, Mr. Christie met several times with US chief agriculture negotiator Ambassador Richard Crowder and his staff to offer input and guidance on behalf of BCI client interests.  

As a member of the Fruit and Vegetable Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for trade, Mr. Christie is often requested to comment on ongoing US agricultural trade negotiations.  Bryant Christie Inc. appreciates the efforts undertaken by the US negotiating team in the US-Korea FTA talks.

On Tuesday, March 20, 2007, Matt Lantz (BCI Chemical and Technical Services) spoke to the Washington State Department of Agriculture's quarantine inspectors in Chelan, Washington.  Using examples from international trade negotiations, Mr. Lantz described how Washington's fruit and vegetable inspectors fit into the international agricultural picture.  He explained how on several occasions over the last two years, actions by inspectors have kept international markets open for Washington's farmers.

On Sunday afternoon, February 25, Bill Bryant and a small group of international trade leaders in Seattle met privately with Deputy US Trade Representative Karan K. Bhatia to discuss developments in the US-Korea free trade agreement and the Doha WTO negotiations.  Ambassador Bhatia expressed continued and cautious optimism that common ground can be found in the on-going Doha WTO agricultural negotiations, and suggested that rather than all sides trying to agree on a percentage by which they will cut their tariffs and supports, negotiators are now trying to agree on what tariff and subsidy level they would be comfortable with, and then are trying to work backward to what cuts would be required.  The US-Korea free trade agreement talks continue moving forward, and there is still a belief that they can be concluded before the president’s trade negotiating authority expires in June.  Extending trade promotion authority so that o-going negotiations may continue uninterrupted is a priority for the administration.

During the week of February 12^th, BCI President James Christie traveled to Japan to meet with officials from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) and the US embassy in Tokyo.  The meetings with Japan MAFF involved market access improvements for a US agricultural commodity represented by BCI. 

 

Meetings with US embassy officials covered a variety of topics including Japan's chemical residue regime, an overview of marketing programs managed by BCI in Japan, and general market development priorities for US products in Japan.

From February 8-10, 2007, BCI staff member Michele Silbey participated in the Fruit Logistica conference in Berlin, Germany.  Fruit Logistica is one of the largest horticultural trade shows in Europe.  In addition to representing BCI clientele, Ms. Silbey met with major European fruit importers as well as US Embassy officials to discuss market issues, and surveyed US and competitive product offerings in local supermarkets.

On January 22 and 24, 2007 in Tokyo and Osaka, Matt Lantz (BCI's Chemical and Technical Services) participated in a series of USDA-sponsored seminars for Japanese fruit and vegetable importers.  The goal of the meetings was to advise Japanese importers on how US industries prepared for the Japanese government's pesticide regulatory transition in May 2006.

 

Mr. Lantz spoke about the cooperation between US grower groups and USDA and Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) to ensure that the new Japanese law would not hinder US agricultural exports to Japan.  Also speaking at the events were officials from the US embassy in Tokyo, EPA, FDA, and several growers.  The seminars were successful and Japanese importers came away with a better understanding of how the US government regulates pesticides, how industries worked to avoid trade problems, and how grower effectively apply crop protection products.

Michele Silbey and Mike Rucier traveled to Australia recently to promote one of the products that BCI represents.  During the trip, Michele and Mike met with food editors of major consumer magazines, with buyers that handle the product, and with a major non-profit health organization to discussion cooperative promotional opportunities.  In addition, Michele and Mike conducted a number of store visits to assess current distribution and to better understand opportunities for expansion.  BCI was very successful in generating publicity for this product in 2006 and this recent trip provided Michele and Mike with important insight into the market dynamics that will help expand the promotion program in 2007 to reach new target audiences and new distribution points.  BCI's client is seeing a surge in demand in Australia due in large part to the promotional efforts that Michele and Mike coordinate.

Matt Lantz (Left) and Dr. Ariff Ally of Canada's PMRA (Right)

On December 7, Matt Lantz, Manager of BCI's Chemical and Technical Services group, participated in the North American Free Trade Agreement Technical Working Group on Pesticides (NAFTA TWG) in Montreal, Canada.  This group meets annually to better harmonize pesticide regulatory standards among the United States, Canada, and Mexico.  Participants include government agencies, chemical registrants, and grower groups.  Bryant Christie Inc. participates in the meeting on behalf of its clients to ensure that their exports are not affected by regulatory changes in Canada and Mexico. 

 

This year, most of the discussion focused on harmonizing maximum residue levels (MRLs) between the United States and Canada and on Canada's proposal to eliminate its 0.1 ppm general (default) tolerance.  The Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is currently reviewing comments on its proposed change and will be issuing a revised proposal likely in 2007.  BCI will continue to follow this issue on behalf of its clients.

 

Next year's NAFTA TWG will be held in Mexico in December 2007

Tim Harrison and Michael Schadler joined BCI in October 2006.  Tim will be working in the Sacramento office as a member of BCI's research and information services team, and Michael will be working with the International Marketing team in Seattle.  Tim's primary responsibilities will include compiling information for BCI's online databases, tracking trade policy changes, writing for the BCI Monitor, and assisting on research projects.  Michael's role will be to support the International Marketing team's client projects in strategic planning, program management, grant writing, and market research, as well as working on associated client activities.

 

Before arriving at BCI, Tim worked with the Northern California International Visitors' Council, where he coordinated the visits of international delegations on U.S. State Department programs.  Tim has also been a Research Assistant at the University of California, Davis in the Political Science Department.  There he worked closely with a faculty member on research and analysis of international political issues.  During his time at UC Davis, Tim served on the senior editorial staff of the International Affairs Journal, an academic journal with articles concerning international trade and politics.

 

Prior to joining BCI, Michael worked at Business News Americas in Santiago, Chile, a news agency concentrating on corporate news and research information covering Latin American business.  While at Business News Americas, Michael worked in sales and marketing where he managed accounts for the company's multinational clients with interests in the region.  He was also an associate member of the American-Chilean Chamber of Commerce.  Before returning to Seattle, Michael volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in southern Chile for five months helping the local office with their home building operations.

 

Tim graduated from the University of California, Davis with Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Relations and Russian.  He also studied at International University in Moscow, Russia.  He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society.  Michael is a graduate of the University of Washington's Jackson School of International Studies.  He has also studied at the National University of Costa Rica and is fluent in Spanish.

BCI Chairman Bill Bryant and staff members Lucas Michaels, Sven-Erik Nielsen, and Amy Thompson recently attended the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit 2006 in San Diego, California.  The PMA Fresh Summit is one of the nation's largest trade shows focused on the fresh fruit and vegetable industry.  The nearly 17,000 attendees included growers, buyers, marketers, and supply chain specialists from the produce industry.  The conference afforded BCI the opportunity to expand its range of contacts in the produce export industry, ensuring that BCI's clients continue to have access to people and organizations critical to growing exports to existing markets, as well as opening new markets.

 In early April, Bill Bryant, chairman BCI, and Matt Lantz, chemical and technical services manager BCI, participated as part of the US delegation to the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR), in Fortaleza, Brazil.  The CCPR establishes recommended maximum residue levels for pesticide resides in food.  At the meeting, Bryant and Lantz worked with the US delegation to advance the establishment of international pesticide residues.  The meeting also provided an opportunity to work closely with foreign governments to better understand how each country establishes and tests for pesticide residues.  As a result of BCI's participation, several crop protection products were added to Codex's agenda for 2006-2007.

BCI President James Christie traveled to China during the week of April 3rd to meet with US and Chinese government officials. The visit was part of an Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) mission to China to learn more about opportunities and threats facing US agriculture.  While in Beijing, James also attended the Asia Fruit Congress.

Lisa Pang joined the Sacramento office in February 2006 as a member of BCI's Research and Information Services Group and International Marketing Group.  In this capacity, Lisa maintains BCI's online marketing and regulatory databases, conducts research and draft reports on international regulatory and trade policy issues, and assists BCI's marketing team with government grant applications, strategic analysis, and other international marketing activities.

 

Prior to joining BCI, Lisa worked at an agribusiness consulting firm in Davis, California where she worked on business plans, grant writing, strategic analysis, market research, and marketing program evaluations.

 

Lisa is a graduate from the University of California, Davis where she received a Bachelors of Science degree in International Agricultural Development with an emphasis on economic development.

In late February, BCI President James Christie traveled to Santiago, Chile to participate in the meeting of the Codex Working Group on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV).  The meeting covered proposed Codex grade and maturity standards for a number of fruit products traded internationally.  Recommendations from the meeting will be considered by the CCFFV during its September meeting in Mexico City. 

Developed by FAO and WHO, Codex develops food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.  Codex was designed to protect health of the consumers and ensuring fair trade practices in the food trade, and promoting coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Over the 13 years since NAFTA was signed, those of us involved in trade have learned a thing or two about free trade agreements.

 

One is that to really open a market, a free trade agreement must eliminate more than tariffs.  Just-announced free trade agreement negotiations with South Korea will give us an opportunity to apply that lesson.

 

We have to.  The U.S.-South Korean trade agreement could be the most important bilateral trade negotiation since NAFTA and, if negotiated correctly, could result in new exports for U.S. high-value and specialty crops.

 

With a per capita income of roughly $19,000, South Korea is the world's 14^th largest economy and the U.S.' fifth-largest market for agricultural products.  South Korea's 2005 imports of U.S. agricultural products are valued at about $15.5 billion.  Unfortunately, less than $140 million of that is for U.S. fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

Other punitive actions:  On many fruit and vegetable products, South Korea imposes tariffs higher than 35%.  Over-quota tariffs in excess of 300% are not unheard of. 

 

A free trade agreement between the U.S. and South Korea should phase out these tariffs, but as many U.S. fruit and vegetable exporters who started shipping to Mexico after NAFTA know well (and, in fairness, as some Mexican exporters know,) eliminating tariffs is just the beginning.

 

As tariffs are phased out under free trade agreements, sometimes local growers petition their government for protection, and since under a free trade agreement, tariffs cannot be re-imposed, imports can get slammed with new quarantine restrictions, inspection requirements, labeling rules and antidumping duties.

 

Those of us who were in Hong Kong for the recent World Trade Organization meeting and were feted each day by South Korean farmers protesting free trade by flinging themselves into the harbor or praying in the streets shouldn't be surprised if, after the agreement is signed, those farmers demand protection from U.S. imports.

 

Unless this agreement has specific disciplines restricting the imposition of new regulatory regimes, and unless it eliminates some existing regulatory barriers, while it could open a new market, that opening could usher in years of quarantine and dumping battles.

 

Of course, some will say that a free trade agreement is not the place to negotiate sanitary and phytosanitary issues.  Few will want to wade into revising dumping rules.

 

But whether or not negotiators want to take up a certain issue, if an industry unifies and engages early in the negotiations, respectfully but consistently presents a clear request, and has congressional support, it can ensure even thorny non-tariff issues are dealt with during free trade talks.

 

Resist the urge:  That's what is happening right now:  The U.S. is resisting implementing a free trade agreement with certain Central American countries until they change their meat and poultry inspection requirements.

 

In the same way, before the U.S. implements any free trade agreements with South Korea, it should ensure that quarantine and sanitary regimes and even anti-dumping rules will not be contorted to block fair trade.

 

For its 2005 Holiday Project, Bryant Christie Inc. made a donation on behalf of its clients and friends to Save the Children's fund for Pakistani earthquake relief. Tens of thousands of Pakistani children and families are already battling high altitude winter conditions with minimal shelter. This past holiday season, BCI joined with other groups to provide shelter and provisions to Pakistani villages so that those children may survive the winter months.

Mike Rucier was among the movers and shakers of the food and ag industry to receive this year's 40 Under 40 recognition from the American Food and Ag Exporter Magazine.  Nominated by his peers and honored for his merits, Mike was chosen for his leadership, accomplishments and level of responsibility he maintains in his role of Marketing Account Manager at Bryant Christie Inc.  Mike oversees international marketing programs for two clients in addition to project work in other divisions of BCI.

 

His goal is to expand global demand to lessen reliance on the US domestic market for his clients. Reaching out to currently untapped markets improves industry sustainability by increasing grower returns and providing for future growth. When asked for his reaction to this honor, Mr. Rucier stated: "I am proud of the growing interest in exporting I have helped create among the industries I represent, and am honored by this recognition of that work."

APHIS Administrator Ron DeHaven (center) with James Christie (left) and Matt Lantz (right)

Bryant Christie Inc. President James Christie and Trade Policy Specialist Matt Lantz attended the North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) annual meeting from October 16-18 in Fort McDowell, Arizona.  NAPPO brings together the plant protection organizations of the US, Canada, and Mexico to discuss regional cooperation on quarantine issues and trade facilitation.  In addition to officials from the three governments, industry representatives from each country also participate in the conference.

 

During the meeting Mr. Christie and Mr. Lantz attended several panel discussions and met with key officials from the three governments to address outstanding trade issues on behalf of BCI's clients.  BCI, along with several clients, also hosted a reception for the entire conference on Tuesday evening.

 

The next NAPPO annual meeting will be hosted by Canada in St. John's, Newfoundland in October 2007.

A strategic alliance between two West Coast firms is designed to help branded food and beverage companies boost their international competitiveness, the companies said.

Bryant Christie Inc., with offices in Seattle and Sacramento, and Seattle-based Athena Marketing International announced the strategic alliance Septeamber 28.

The companies provide complementary services and clients of both firms should benefit from the new alliance, Bill Bryant, chairman of Bryant Christie, said in a news release.

Bryant Christie helps US companies and organizations, including many agricultural entities, to formulate international market access and market development strategies and provides other services. Athena Marketing provides branded sales and marketing services in global markets for US food and beverage manufacturers.

"Our clients will benefit from each company's expertise," Peter Guyer, president of Athena Marketing, said in a telephone interview. "Bryant Christie can help clients open markets and Athena Marketing can help importers and distributors identify opportunities in those markets", Guyer said.

For more information, visit www.bryantchristie.com or http://www.athenaintl.com/.

Peggy Steward
Capital Press Staff Writer
Content © 2006 Capital Press Software © 1998-2006 1up! Software, All Rights Reserved

 

Sven-Erik Nielsen recently attended a ground-breaking conference on the future of renewable energy in America held jointly by the US Department of Energy and US Department of Agriculture in St. Louis.   Mr. Nielsen explored opportunities for BCI's clients to take advantage of new programs targeting agriculture's role in renewable energy, and is working with BCI's chairman, Bill Bryant, to develop an energy, natural resources and environmental services group within BCI. 

 

The conference focused on biofuels, energy security, and agriculture's role in  providing sustainable and renewable energy sources, and in encouraging private sector involvement in expanding the renewable energy sector.  The conference provided an excellent opportunity for BCI to expand its repertoire of current policy issues facing agriculture and to develop contacts in the energy and environmental services sectors.

Jun 28, 2006

BCI at California Specialty Crop Council International MRL Symposium

On June 28, 2006, BCI President James Christie, along with BCI staff members Matthew Lantz and Sven-Erik Nielsen participated in the California Specialty Crop Council International Pesticide Maximum Residue Level (MRL) Symposium in San Francisco. 

The symposium addressed emerging pesticide regulatory trends in international markets.  Matt Lantz, BCI's Chemical and Technical Services Director (pictured at right) made presentations on the International Maximum Residue Level Database, which can be found at www.mrldatabase.com and on Pacific Basin MRLs.  In the latter presentation, Lantz focused on the establishment of Japan's "positive list" which was implemented on May 29, 2006 and how it might affect US agricultural exports.  He also covered regulatory systems from Korea to Thailand to New Zealand. 

 

In his presentation, James Christie provided an overview of international regulatory priorities for a number of US commodity groups. 

 

The symposium provided an excellent forum for government officials, commodity groups, and registrants to share thoughts on international regulatory trends.

 

Jun 19, 2006

Amy Thompson attends food seminar in Russia

Amy Thompson recently traveled to Moscow, Russian Federation to participate in a seminar on behalf of a BCI client.  The seminar, targeting key members of the Russian food trade, sought to communicate the benefits of using US ingredients for new product development.  Ms. Thompson spoke about related marketing considerations, including product positioning and how to use new product introductions to optimize the product life cycle.  While in Moscow, Ms. Thompson also held meetings with individual trade members and in-country contractors.

 

The Russian market shows strong growth potential for many US food products.  According to the local Foreign Agricultural Service Agricultural Trade Office, Russia purchased almost $15 billion in food and agricultural products from abroad in 2005, over $1 billion from the United States. Retail sales are showing double-digit annual growth, with expansion in major cities throughout the country.  HRI is also growing, and many restaurants rely heavily upon imported products.

Jun 9, 2006

James Christie Joins USDA Secretary Johanns in California

BCI President James Christie met with US Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns during the secretary's recent visit to California.  The meeting took place at a cherry packing facility in Stockton, California and also included California Secretary of Agriculture A.G. Kawamura.  The visit by Secretary Johanns was part of a larger US tour to meet with agricultural industry leaders and to discuss the Bush Administration's immigration reform agenda.

 

Mr. Christie took the opportunity to thank the secretary for his leadership in addressing agricultural exporter concerns over Japan's new "positive list" chemical residue regime (implemented May 29, 2006).  Secretary Johanns and Under Secretary J.B. Penn recently sent a large delegation of USDA officials to Tokyo to meet with Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare to engage on the issue.  Mr. Christie also stressed the importance of agricultural exports and international market access to the US food and agricultural sector.

May 15, 2006

BCI Participates in US Delegation in Tokyo

During the week of May 15, 2006, Matt Lantz participated in a US delegation to Tokyo to discuss the impending implementation of Japan's new pesticide regulatory system.  On behalf of its clients, Bryant Christie Inc. has worked for more than three years to ensure a smooth transition to the new Japanese system.  Under this "positive list" system, exports of food products to Japan must now comply with the thousands of newly-established tolerances.

 

The US delegation consisted of officials from the US Department of Agriculture, US Food and Drug Administration, the US Embassy in Tokyo, and several US agricultural industry groups.  During the trip, the delegation met with the Japanese Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare (MHLW) to discuss Japan's proposed testing and sanctions policies and observed import inspections at the Port of Tokyo. 

 

The meetings were productive and both sides came away with a better understanding of expectations for the new system. Japan's "positive list" went into effect on May 29, 2006.

May 8, 2006

Mike Rucier Launches New Marketing Program in Australia

Mike Rucier traveled to Australia recently to launch a new market development program for one of the products that BCI represents.  Mike met with a newly hired public relations agency to solidify the promotional program, participated in interviews with several journalists, met with buyers that would likely handle the product, and conducted a number of store visits to assess current distribution and to better understand opportunities for expansion.  Promotions have already generated publicity in several consumer magazines and are well underway to increasing awareness of product availability.

 

Liberalization of Australia's import policies in the last decade has facilitated growth in US food exports.  Australia has only recently opened its borders to imports of US agricultural products.  Since the beginning of the decade, exports of US Agricultural products to Australia have increased 46% and are now worth more than $460 million.  Trade liberalization, a concentrated population in four main cities, and taste preferences similar to those in the US will facilitate future exports of US products to Australia.   BCI is poised to assist food companies in expanding sales in Australia and around the world.

Sep 16, 2006

BCI Staff Participates in Habitat for Humanity

On September 16, 2006, BCI Seattle staff helped build a low-income triplex in Southwest Seattle. BCI's crew framed interior walls, repaired siding and readied the walls and exterior frame for roof joists.  

 

Habitat for Humanity, founded in 1976 helps disadvantaged families become homeowners.  This effort is part of broader BCI Humanitarian Committee activities aimed at giving back to the community, both at home and abroad.