To bring international shellfish buyers and Northeast U.S. suppliers together, Food Export–Northeast is hosting an Inbound Shellfish Mission in May 2023. The event will take place from May 13-17 in Massachusetts and six international buyers from the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Singapore plan to attend. The buyers will participate in a range of activities including product education sessions, a retail seafood market tour in Boston, and multiple on-farm visits with growers.
“While Massachusetts is currently the only U.S. state permitted to engage in shellfish trade with the EU, it is anticipated that another New England state may be added to that list by the end of April. If this does happen, it’s exciting news for Northeast shellfish growers,” said Colleen Coyne, Seafood Program Coordinator, Food Export-Northeast.
The Dutch buyers in attendance participated in Food Export’s first-ever European Market Shellfish Trade Mission held in September 2022 in the Netherlands, and they will now have the opportunity to see first-hand different growing and harvesting practices. “Building relationships with interested buyers is critical to growing export sales,” noted Coyne. “Having these pre-qualified Dutch buyers in attendance demonstrates how valuable our Trade Missions and promotional activities are in making those connections.”
On the final day of the event, any interested Northeast shellfish supplier will have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with the attending buyers. These face-to-face meetings are an excellent opportunity to build direct buyer relationships and learn about potential market export opportunities. Interested suppliers can register here to secure a buyer meeting spot or contact Colleen Coyne, Food Export’s Seafood Program Coordinator, directly at ccoyne@foodexport.org.
About Food Export USA–Northeast
With its extensive programs and educational offerings, Food Export USA–Northeast (Food Export–Northeast) is recognized as the preeminent expert and cost-effective resource for northeast seafood and agricultural suppliers looking to sell their products overseas. Founded in 1973, Food Export–Northeast is a non-profit organization that works collaboratively with its 10 member states’ agricultural promotion agencies from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, to facilitate trade between suppliers and worldwide importers and to promote the export of food, agricultural and seafood products from those states. The organization is funded through the Market Access Program (MAP), administered by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.
Learn more about us and what we do for the Northeast seafood industry here. Contact us.