Iowa Agriculture Secretary Returns with Optimism After Southeast Asia Trade mission
DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig returned to Iowa Monday following a nine-day trade mission to Vietnam and Indonesia, reporting critically important potential for increased agricultural exports from the state. The trip focused on bolstering relationships and identifying opportunities in two of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economies.
Naig highlighted the region’s economic dynamism, stating, “Between the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, you’ve got some of the fastest growing economies in the world, and lots of opportunity for even a lot more business there.” A delegation of a dozen representatives from iowa commodity groups accompanied Naig on the mission.
Vietnam emerged as a key market for pork, with Naig noting the country’s strong demand. “Vietnam is very pork friendly. They want a lot of pork in their diet,” he said. While acknowledging a smaller potential market for pork in Indonesia – the world’s fourth-largest country by population and largest Muslim nation - Naig emphasized beef as the primary opportunity there.”Really beef is the significant opportunity in Indonesia.”
The trip builds on existing momentum with Vietnam, a top 10 importer of U.S. agricultural goods. Naig previously led a trade mission to Vietnam in 2023, and in June, the Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture signed $1.4 billion in purchase agreements with the U.S., $800 million of which were designated for Iowa products. This recent mission served as a follow-up to those agreements.
Naig described the Indonesian market as presenting unique challenges. While a good market for soybeans and dried distillers grains, he noted existing trade barriers and strong competition from countries like Brazil, China, and Australia, which currently dominate Indonesia’s agricultural imports. the U.S. currently accounts for approximately 10% of Indonesia’s agricultural imports, according to the USDA.
“Indonesia was new and we learned a lot,” Naig said. “You’ve got to be on the ground sometimes to figure those things out.”