Selling Michigan’s Agriculture: A guide to exporting our products
Michigan grows an incredible variety of crops, second only to California in crop diversity. Our products are in high demand all over the world, with Michigan farmers and producers shipping over $1 billion of goods to countries like Mexico, Canada, Japan, Korea, and Germany.
As Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee and as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, as well as her membership on President Obama's Export Council, Senator Stabenow is uniquely positioned to help promote Michigan products to foreign markets.
Here is a quick guide to financial, training, and other support our federal government has established to help you successfully export abroad.
Financial Programs
Loans
- Small business loans for firms looking to establish or expand their export markets can be found at http://search.business.gov/grantme.do?name=0&state_name=Iowa.
- Export financial support to expand into international markets and to help limit your risks can be found at http://www.exim.gov/portals/usexporter/index.cfm.
Grants
- Specialty crop grants are available for domestic and international markets through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
- For a list of specialty crops, visit http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/scbgpdefinitions
- For more information, contact the grant coordinator at the Michigan Department of Agriculture by calling (517) 241-3415
- Matching funds are available through the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program to assist in exploring new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products.
- To learn how you can urge the MDA to gain funding for your international marketing, contact the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service at www.ams.usda.gov.
- Financing for promotional activities is available through the Market Access Program . More information can be found at http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/programs/maptoc.html.
- Funding for technical assistance when exporting specialty crops is available under the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program To learn more, go to http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/tasc/tasc.asp.
Trade Shows
- For a list produced by the Foreign Agricultural Service of domestic and international trade shows to bring together buyers and suppliers, visit the FAS web site at www.fas.usda.gov.
- Buyer's missions bring buyers from across the world to the U.S. to meet one-on-one with potential suppliers to make business connections. Food Service PLUS! (FSP) includes providing interpreters at your booth, assistance in qualifying leads after a show, and one-on-one meetings with buyers. Trade missions provide farmers and agribusinesses with a look into market potential firsthand.
o For more information regarding buyers missions, FSP, and trade missions, visit http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125-1568_2387_3784-78461--,00.html or call (517) 241-3628.
Additional Resources
- For timely, unbiased price and shipping rate information to help producers and marketers of agricultural products make more informed marketing decisions, visit http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/internationalmarketing.
- Phytosanitary certificates are issued to assist exporters in meeting the plant quarantine requirements of the importing country. For more information, visit http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/plant_exports/faqs.shtml or by contacting the USDA's Export Services by calling (301) 734-8262.
- For more information on exporting live animals and animal products, as well as permit applications associated with animals, visit http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_exports.shtml.
- For a complete export certification checklist to overview the steps to take when exporting meat, poultry, or processed egg products, call (800) 336-3747 or visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/Export_Checklist/index.asp.
- A listing of requirements for exporting commodities is available by visiting http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=coop&topic=pas-ex-cr.
