Competitiveness Program

Maintaining a favorable position in the global market place is critical in the globalized oilseed trade. The USSEC Competitiveness Program ensures that the U.S. soybean industry continually strives to develop and implement a strategic view of the global soy market place that ensures a bright export outlook. The program identifies situations that could impact the competitive market position of U.S. soybean products. After careful analysis of each situation, program members strive to positively impact these situations through alliances, informational campaigns and business development efforts.

The Competitiveness program identifies not only approaching government actions that might affect U.S. soybean producers but also trends within the U.S. soybean producing, processing and consuming industries that may impede industry-wide success and profitability.

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Latest Reports

12/01/2008 - How the Global Oilseed and Grain Trade Works

In their efforts to maintain U.S. soy exports, the USSEC Competitiveness program leads the U.S. soy industry and government, both strategically and tactically, in supporting and defending the trade avenues that lead to prosperity.

Issues the Competitiveness program recently addressed include the following:

  • The USSEC Competitiveness program warned the U.S. soybean industry of impending challenges such as: the decline in U.S. railway usage for soy distribution, growing international and economic pressure to reduce U.S. agricultural producers’ support payments, growing economic pressure to establish corporate farms and the introduction of unfair trade practices through free trade agreements and multilateral trade agreements such as the World Trade Organization.
  • The program provided the U.S. soybean industry with intelligence on the strengths and weaknesses of other soybean producing countries. The program’s analysis alerted the U.S. soy industry to the opportunities and threats that these countries pose. Knowledge of foreign industries provides the U.S. with a distinct advantage.
  • The program represented the soy industry in various U.S. agricultural coalitions that develop industry-wide consensus for trade negotiations and development of strategies to support, defend and provide advantage to the U.S. oilseed and broader agricultural industry.
  • The USSEC Competitiveness program worked with other members of the global oilseed industry to address international trade policy constraints, trade barriers and other issues that affect overall competition.
  • The program worked with the U.S. and international soybean utilization industries to expand business development efforts by providing market analyses, business assessments and feasibility assessments. This new role expands demand for U.S. soy through increasing utilization in growing industries and creates a mutually beneficial situation for new entrepreneurs and U.S. soybean producers alike.