PANAMA CITY, PANAMA – U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) members are gathering this week for the 23rd International Marketing Conference and 66th Annual Membership Meeting in Panama City.
This meeting will spotlight impactful conversations around new markets, the Panama Canal and discussions of the Council’s upcoming global trade strategy in Latin America and the Asia Pacific.
This meeting includes several Advisory Team (A-Team) sessions, where experts in various agricultural commodities and markets come together to conduct market and commodity-specific deep-dives and share experiences relevant to their industry for this year.
“My theme for this year, The Time is Now!, reflects both the opportunities and challenges of the current trade environment,” said Mark Wilson, USGBC Chairman. “Not only will attendees hear throughout this conference about our recent trade victories we’ve had over the last year, but they also will get the opportunity to meet and speak directly with members of the Council’s staff who are strategically placed around the world and working for them.”
Wednesday morning will feature presentations from the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Panama Kevin Marino Cabrera and the Panama Canal Authority Administrator Dr. Ricaurte Vasquez Morales before a ceremonial Memorandum of Understanding cover letter signing between USGBC and the Panama Canal Authority.
Thursday will feature a presentation led by USGBC Regional Director for Latin America Marri Tejada on food security and the new geopolitics of grain in Latin America. The morning will also host a panel of USGBC global directors including USGBC Director for South Korea Haksoo Kim, USGBC Director for China Manuel Sanchez, USGBC Director for Japan Tommy Hamamoto and USGBC Director for Taiwan Michael Lu featuring the latest developments and challenges in their markets.
The conference will conclude with sector meetings and a panel on the expanding frontier for ethanol during the USGC Board of Delegates meeting on Friday.
The 23rd International Marketing Conference and 66th Annual Membership Meeting runs through Friday in Panama City, Panama. Follow along on social media using the hashtag #Grains26 or find more information about the meeting on our website here.