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S P E C I A LT Y C H E E S E T R A D E M I S S I O N
SPECIALTY CHEESE TRADE MISSION TO
THE UNITED STATES - A GRAND SUCCESS
I
n 2018, the Middle East was the fifth largest
export market for U.S Dairy with an export
value of U.S. $82 million. U.S. cheese exports
to the Middle East increased by 6,500 MT in two
years from 14,000 MT in 2016 to 20,500 MT
in 2018, with ample further growth capacity to
fulfill rising cheese demand in the Middle East.
In order to have a better understanding of the
U.S dairy industries and its business potentials,
more than a dozen dairy buyers from the Middle
East participated in a US Specialty Cheese
Trade Mission organized by the U.S. Dairy
Export Council (USDEC) with funding from the
dairy checkoff program. The event held from
June 22-30, 2019. Food Business Gulf &
Middle East- the regions’ highest circulating
magazine’s managing editor M. Matt was also
one among the group.
FOOD BUSINESS GULF & MIDDLE EAST
The group arrived in New York City on June
22 and attended the Summer Fancy Food
Show. From there, the Group spent two days
in Vermont followed by two days in Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, they got an overview of U.S.
cheese making through tours of cheese
plants, meetings with dairy industry leaders.
The Wisconsin visit was coordinated by
USDEC with support from the Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, Trade and
Consumer Protection; Dairy Farmers of
Wisconsin; the University of Wisconsin’s
Center for Dairy Research and other dairy
organizations.
The U.S. Dairy Export Council® (USDEC)
is a nonprofit, independent membership
organization that represents the global trade
interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2019