In Ag Trade Mission to China, Council Leaders Meet Top Chinese Officials, Attend China International Import Expo

The following day was set aside for Chinese industry visits, where half the group visited the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the other half met with the China Chamber of Commerce of Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products (CFNA). Sifferath, Jernigan and Yan visited CNFA, while Reiners and Sanchez were present at CCPIT.

The Council staff and leadership from the U.S. then toured the new USGBC office in Beijing and were able to meet with staff there. Pictured from left to right are Yan, Liu, Sifferath, Sanchez, E. Li and L. Li.

On Wednesday, the USGBC staff left Beijing for Shanghai and the Ninth China International Import Expo via a high-speed train that topped 250 miles per hour.

Once in Shanghai, the USGBC staff were treated to a tour of Yangshan Port, the largest automated container terminal in the world. In 2025, the port's container throughput exceeded 55.06 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 6.9% year-on-year, ranking first globally for the 16th consecutive year.

At the Hongqiao Forum prior to the official opening of CIIE, Chairman Reiners was interviewed by Chinese media about the importance of having a presence at CIIE, the trade of U.S. sorghum and corn to China and what the Council's role is internationally.

USGBC staff swiftly moved into the exhibit hall where the Council hosted a booth showcasing U.S. corn and sorghum and offering beer to visitors crafted with 100% U.S. barley malt and other ingredients. Chairman Reiner's theme, "Feeding and Fueling the World," was prominently displayed within the booth.

Additional interviews with Chairman Reiners and Sifferath were also on tap in the USGBC booth, with world media excited to see U.S. grains represented in China.

Chairman Reiners, Jernigan and Li were ready to welcome CIIE attendees and visitors who numbered 922,000 in 2025.

Reiners (third from right) also participated, along with other U.S. cooperators, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the U.S. Agricultural Pavilion.

Ever busy in the booth, the Council hosted a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing between Council member CHS and a Tianrun Company. Reiners and Sifferath witnessed the signing along with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Jason Hafemeister and FAS Minister Counselor for Agricultural Affairs Michael G. Francom.

The CIIE event for the Council culminated in an address by Chairman Reiners at the U.S. - China Agricultural Trade Cooperation Forum with a theme around building a resilient and stable U.S. - China agricultural trade relationship.

"Through meetings with key stakeholders and participation at CIIE, the Council reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining strong international partnerships and expanding opportunities for U.S. agriculture," Reiners said.

"Continued dialogue and collaboration will help support market development, strengthen trade relationships and advance shared economic interested in the years ahead."

Learn more about the Council's work in China on the organization's website.