Getting Started
From facilitating relationships with potential foreign buyers, to providing technical and financial assistance, FAS’s resources and expertise can help link your business to a world of opportunities.
A great place to start is with the State Regional Trade Group (SRTG) that covers your area. FAS supports four of these non-profit organizations, which in turn assist U.S. food and agricultural businesses with the entire exporting process. Your SRTG can help you with everything from learning the fundamentals of exporting to identifying overseas opportunities to marketing your products through trade shows and trade missions. With FAS support, SRTGs also help fund international marketing campaigns and promote U.S. farm and food products overseas. FAS and SRTGs work closely together with the ultimate goal of helping U.S. agriculture build a global business.
Contact Your State Regional Trade Group
FAS also partners with more than 70 non-profit trade associations, called "cooperators," that represent producers of myriad food and agricultural products — from pecans to papayas, from sorghum to salmon, from dried beans to beef, and beyond. As part of their mission to promote U.S. agricultural products around the world, many cooperator organizations offer exporter assistance, sponsor trade missions, and help farmers and ranchers identify international market opportunities.
Browse the Directory of Cooperator Organizations
Market Intelligence
In addition to its Washington, D.C. staff, FAS has a global network of offices covering more than 170 countries. FAS staff members are the eyes, ears, and voice for U.S. agriculture around the world. They analyze foreign market opportunities, prepare trade forecasts, and track changes in policies affecting U.S. agricultural exports and imports. This first-hand intelligence can help exporters make informed decisions about how and where to grow their businesses. Browse the Data and Analysis section to find out more about what's happening in markets around the world.
Technical Assistance
Navigating certification, documentation and registration requirements can be confusing and time-consuming for many exporters. FAS’s Trade Facilitation Desk serves as a point of contact for exporters, State Departments of Agriculture, and industry cooperator groups seeking assistance and guidance on foreign import requirements. For more information about such requirements and for assistance with detained shipments, contact the Trade Facilitation Desk at (202) 720-2378 or email agexport@fas.usda.gov.