USIP Alliance trade mission strengthens seaway export opportunities

The U.S. Identity Preserved Alliance led agricultural and transportation representatives on a trade mission to Morocco and Portugal to explore how increased two-way trade could strengthen the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway as an export route for identity preserved crops and other value-added agricultural products. 
 
In Morocco, the delegation toured port facilities in Casablanca and Tangier and held a seminar with Moroccan port representatives. Discussions focused on bringing additional imports and shipping containers into inland Great Lakes ports, creating more reliable opportunities to move agricultural products back through the Seaway to international customers.  
 
Delegates also learned about Casablanca’s expansion plans and Tanger Med’s position as Africa’s largest container port and an important gateway to markets across Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. 
 
In Portugal, the delegation visited ports in Lisbon, Aveiro and Leixões and also delivered its seminar. Speakers and participants included representatives from the Alliance; the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation; Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of agriculture; farmer-leaders from soybean organizations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio; and the Ports of Indiana.   
 
Overall, the mission reinforced the Alliance’s strategy of pairing international market development with practical transportation solutions. By building relationships with overseas ports and demonstrating the Seaway’s direct connection to the U.S. agricultural heartland, the Alliance aims to generate more balanced cargo flows, improve container availability and establish new export channels for U.S. value-added agriculture. 
 
The trade mission was made possible with funding from the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board, Ohio Soybean Council and Illinois Soybean Association. 
 
Following the mission, USIP Alliance staff went on to Spain for visits to ports at Huelva, Cadiz, Algeciras and Malaga in preparation for 2027’s trade mission.