Media contact:
Misti Preston
Phone: (573) 751-8596
Misti.Preston@mda.mo.gov

For Immediate Release: May 6, 2008

Department of Agriculture Offers Opportunities to Learn More About "Doing Business with Vietnam"

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) – The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) is coordinating two opportunities to explore the possibilities of doing business with Vietnam for Missouri businesses.

On May 22, the "Doing Business in Vietnam" seminar will take place at the Plaster Student Union on the Missouri State University campus in Springfield and will include representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington, D.C., the Food Export Association’s Chicago office and EXIM Bank’s Chicago office. Representatives from Clayton AgriMarketing, North Pacific Lumber and Pedro Pantoja, retired international executive, will also share their business experiences in the Vietnam market.

On May 23, the seminar will be held at the University of Missouri - Columbia. Mr. Ngo and Mr. Bui from the Vietnam Embassy in Washington and Mr. Hank Ma, director of Missouri’s Trade Office in Taipei, will present information.

"Vietnam’s purchases of U.S. agricultural and forestry products continue to increase. Both the Springfield and Columbia seminars will give Missouri companies a unique opportunity to learn more about the growth in Vietnam’s economy and how that growth relates to market opportunities for Missouri farmers and businesses," said Katie Smith, director of MDA. "Vietnam has the potential to be an important market for Missouri’s lumber, cotton, grains, feed ingredients, food ingredients and processed foods. The seminars will provide an opportunity to gain valuable insight and learn about our future of international trade with Vietnam."

Between 2006 and 2007, Missouri’s exports to Vietnam have increased 75 percent with chemicals leading in exports followed by processed foods and leather-related products. Food, leather, crop, and forestry products have cumulatively increased an astounding 139%.

In March, Director Smith, at the request of Gov. Matt Blunt, led a feed-related mission to Vietnam to assist Missouri companies and suppliers in developing sales to Vietnam’s rapidly expanding feed industry. Smith, along with Dawn Wall, an international marketing specialist with MDA, and four Missouri companies traveled to Vietnam and met with the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ambassador of the U.S. Embassy about their growing economy and increased demand for animal protein consumption.

"Our trip to Vietnam was an opportunity to make positive contacts and provide Missouri companies with the information they need to make sales to Vietnam in the future," said Director Smith. "Vietnam has a fast growing economy in Asia, only second to China, and the U.S. exported a record $624 million in agricultural, fish and forest products to the country last year. That was almost a ten-fold increase in exports since 2000. Our long-term vision and commitment to Vietnam has resulted in opening new markets and increased sales."

Seasoned exporters, new-to-export companies and anyone interested in Vietnam are invited to attend one of the events. Registration, including lunch, is $35 per person. For more information about the seminar and a full list of speakers and schedule of events, visit www.mda.mo.gov or contact Shelley Haslag at (573) 751-4339 or Shelley.Haslag@mda.mo.gov.

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