Kentucky’s international trade offices in Beijing, China, and Guadalajara, Mexico, helped those two countries import more than $2.2 billion worth of products from the Commonwealth in 2006.

Lawrence Hust of Slaughters, right, shows a portfolio of his Red Angus herd to Mexican rancher Enrique Candiana Segura, president of the Mexican Angus Association, at Candiana’s ranch in 2006. Hust accompanied Kentucky Department of Agriculture marketing staff on a trade mission to Mexico.  (Patrick Fenton photo)

Kentucky exported $17.2 billion in products in 2006, $1 billion of which were related to agriculture.
Exports to Mexico totaled $1.8 billion, including $32 million in ag-related goods.  Agriculture-related trade is a much larger percentage of Kentucky’s exports to the People’s Republic of China, accounting for $24 million of the state’s $417 million total.

“The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is working closely with the Kentucky China Trade Center [KCTC] in Beijing on trade leads obtained through that office,” said Jonathan Van Balen, Import/Export Advisor for the KDA’s Division of Agriculture Marketing and Agribusiness Recruitment.

KCTC, the newest of Kentucky’s three international trade offices, opened July 1, 2006, at an Independence Day reception hosted by U.S. Ambassador to China Clark T. Randt Jr., with more than 400 high-ranking Chinese officials in attendance.  Shortly after its opening, KCTC conducted three half-day seminars on doing business in China in northern Kentucky, Lexington and Louisville with close to 150 people in attendance.

In fall 2006, KCTC represented 15 Kentucky companies at the seventh annual World SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) Expo in Hong Kong.

“The Commonwealth should begin to see an increase in exports of agriculture-related products in the coming years, particularly in the lumber industry, bourbon, and dairy and beef cattle genetics,” Van Balen said. “There is also potential for value-added food products, capitalizing on the success of Kentucky brands such as KFC, Papa John’s and Jim Beam.”

Closer to home, the Kentucky Agricultural and Commercial Trade Office (KACTO) in Guadalajara, Mexico, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2007.  The office is a joint venture between the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) and the state Cabinet for Economic Development.

KACTO Director Patrick Fenton came to Kentucky in May 2007 and accompanied Van Balen and Anna Kindrick, director of the KDA’s Division of Ag Marketing and Agribusiness Recruitment, on visits to five dairy cow, wood and farm machinery businesses.  KACTO identifies companies that may be interested in buying Kentucky agriculture-related products, ranging from value-added food products and food additives to horses, jacks and dairy and beef cattle.

“KACTO has maintained and continues to develop great contacts with buyers in Mexico,” Van Balen said.  “The office frequently provides trade leads to the KDA so that we may find producers who are interested in exporting to the Mexican market.”