Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, IEDA Led Trade Mission to Costa Rica and Guatemala

DES MOINES (Feb. 24) - Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and a 13-member delegation have just returned from a trade mission to Costa Rica and Guatemala. The mission, coordinated by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), included representation from Iowa’s meat and grain commodity groups. The purpose of the mission was to foster trade opportunities as the State of Iowa advocates for the high-quality of Iowa corn, soybeans, pork and beef products produced in Iowa for export markets. 

 

The U.S. remains the number one export market in agricultural products for Costa Rica and Guatemala. Guatemala accounts for approximately one-third of the Central America region’s GDP, and is steadily increasing agricultural imports from the U.S. In 2024, Guatemala imported $1.9 billion in agricultural goods from the U.S., while Costa Rica imported $956 million in 2024.  In 2024, Iowa companies alone exported $75.1 million in agricultural goods to Costa Rica and $145 million to Guatemala. (Source: USDA and WISERTrade) 

 

“Iowa’s hardworking farmers can produce an abundance of food and fuel incredibly efficiently, which is why international market development continues to be one of my top priorities,” said Secretary Naig. “I was pleased to lead a delegation of Iowa farmers and agricultural leaders to Central America, an area of the globe that offers promising potential as a growing destination for Iowa grain, protein, and biofuels. Our delegation enjoyed meeting with customers in Costa Rica and Guatemala, we thanked them for their business, and we learned more about how we can further strengthen our trading relationship going forward. Trade matters to Iowa, and these face-to-face meetings are the best way to build connections in key markets as we seek to export significantly more Iowa products.”    

 

The Iowa ag delegation visited San Jose, Costa Rica and Guatemala City, Guatemala from February 15-21. The itinerary was comprised of trade policy discussions, information sessions on Iowa’s agricultural industry and business development meetings. The delegation was comprised of representatives from the Iowa Beef Industry Council, Iowa Corn, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association and the Iowa Soybean Association. IEDA worked with the U.S. Grains Council, U.S. Meat Export Federation, U.S. Soybean Export Council and U.S. Department of Agriculture – Foreign Agriculture Service to identify and organize business prospects and meetings for the mission. 

 

IEDA’s International Trade Office connects Iowa companies with markets for their products and services, educates Iowa businesses on exporting and assists global companies wishing to establish or expand operations in Iowa. To find out more about these services or other trade missions, visit iowaeda.com.