SALEM, Ore. — Chinese food companies recently met with farmers and food processors in Oregon and Idaho.
Representatives of six Chinese companies visited the U.S. Aug. 4-7 as part of a trade mission organized by the states’ agriculture departments and the Western U.S. Agricultural Trade Association, a nonprofit funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Chinese business people generally want that face-to-face. This is the way to do it,” said Aaron Foster of All Berry & Fruits, which sells a variety of dried, frozen and purée products.
Inbound trade missions are usually a first step, meant for introductions rather than sales, said Oregon Department of Agriculture international trade manager Theresa Yoshioka.
Interested Northwest food producers should show their commitment by participating in an outbound mission, she explained. “That really moves the relationship forward and gets you much closer to a purchase.”
Before being invited to the U.S., the Chinese organizations were investigated by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and a contractor hired by WUSATA.
“We check out the track record. We do our best to vet them before we ever bring them over,” said Andy Anderson, WUSATA’s executive director.
That cautiousness attracts suppliers like F.C. Bloxom, a produce company that had a disappointing interaction with a Chinese importer about a decade ago.
The importer paid for multiple shipments and then unexpectedly stiffed the Seattle-based distributor, according to export director Antonio Esteves.
“We are trying to be more careful,” said Esteves, explaining that F.C. Bloxom isn’t soured on the entire Chinese market — just wary.
That cautious attitude goes both ways. Chinese buyers are concerned about reliability and want assurance that U.S. partners can give them a steady flow of their product.
Chinese consumers generally consider foreign goods to be of high quality, said Henry Chen, vice manager of large Chinese distributor Guangzhou Yangchen Food Co. “People can tell the flavor,” he said, and Chinese companies want a supplier they won’t need to frequently replace.
