ICMC partners with USGBC to expand market access to Mexico and Taiwan 

The U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council (USGBC) submitted it’s 2027 Unified Export Strategy (UES) to the USDA in August. The UES is a grant application that details the Council’s market development plans and recaps recent successes from the previous year. 

USGBC submitted three success stories that included the participation and partnership of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC). Due to this partnership, USGBC was able to expand U.S. corn market access and strengthen relationships in Mexico and Taiwan. 

Grain handling program in Mexico 

SuKarne is one of Mexico’s largest producers of animal protein and a consumer of U.S. corn, using an estimated 700 TMT per year, much of it in cattle feed. To demonstrate the value of U.S. corn beyond its market price, the USGBC along with ICMC, implemented a technical program to improve grain handling efficiency through better cleaning, screening and use of broken corn and foreign materials (BCFM). 

ICMC donated Carter Day grain cleaning equipment under a Memorandum of Understanding signed on July 28, 2022, and the Council completed installation and commissioning in 2025, followed by a series of trips to ensure proper use and tracking. 

The program quantified the operational and economic value of impurity removal, demonstrating that recovered BCFM retains 95 percent to 98 percent of whole corn’s nutritional value — allowing it to be incorporated into feed formulations rather than treated as waste. This allows customers to maximize the value of every ton of U.S. corn while improving feed manufacturing efficiency. 

The result is measurable gains in efficiency. Field verification confirmed clear operational improvements. Average cleaning efficiency rose from 72.62 percent to 77.0 percent, with the plant consistently exceeding 85 percent during the final three months of operation. 

Cleaner grain entering the roller mills improved process consistency and reduced foreign material in feed production. Between August and December 2025, BCFM cleaning efficiency improved further, reducing impurities from 2.65 percent to 0.59 percent — a 2.06 percentage-point reduction. 

Under SuKarne’s operating conditions, these gains recovered approximately 1,704 metric tons of BCFM, worth an estimated $297,128 in market value. Because the recovered material retains nearly all of corn’s nutritional value, its effective feed value reached an estimated $288,214 — showing that material once treated as a quality defect can become a valuable feed ingredient. 

By serving as a trusted technical intermediary and facilitating both the equipment investment and on-site validation, the Council helped demonstrate that U.S. corn delivers superior economic value through better handling and use. This built buyer confidence and helped protect SuKarne’s 173 TMT in annual U.S. corn imports to its Mexicali facility, valued at $33.1 million, from South American competition. 

The Council expects to extrapolate these results across SuKarne’s full 700 TMT in annual U.S. corn use. The $119,000 combined investment from ICMC and USDA MAP funds generated a return on investment of $278 per $1 invested by protecting U.S. corn sales from competition — demonstrating how USDA-funded programs can attract U.S. industry investment to support and expand their impact. 

U.S. Corn exports to Taiwan increase 

Taiwan remains one of the United States’ most dependable agricultural trading partners and one of the largest export markets for U.S. feed grains. Through sustained MAP investments and strategic industry engagement, the USGBC strengthened U.S. corn’s competitive position in Taiwan throughout 2025, driving substantial export growth and reinforcing long-term bilateral agricultural cooperation. 

In September 2025, Taiwan’s Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission to the United States delivered a major milestone: Taiwan signed Letters of Intent committing to purchase more than $10 billion in U.S. ag products over four years, including 7.5 million metric tons of U.S. corn and 1 million metric tons of U.S. DDGS valued at approximately $2.12 billion. 

The delegation toured Arkansas, Ohio and Indiana, meeting with U.S. farmers, grain exporters, university researchers, members of Congress and state officials to deepen mutual trust and expand cooperation on agricultural innovation, sustainability and the circular economy. 

The Council backed these high-level trade gains with a comprehensive market development program targeting Taiwan’s livestock and feed industries. Partnering with the National Animal Industry Foundation (NAIF), the Taiwan Feed Industry Association (TFIA) and other industry organizations, the Council delivered technical seminars covering swine genetics, ultrasonic technology, poultry disease prevention, biosecurity and sustainable feed formulation — while promoting greater use of U.S. corn and co-products in animal diets. 

Additional sessions for Taiwan’s hog and cattle sectors covered global corn supply trends and sustainable feed applications, helping producers boost efficiency and build confidence in U.S. feed ingredients. 

The Council also supported the U.S. Corn Harvest Quality and Global Grain Market Outlook Symposium, drawing more than 100 leaders from Taiwan’s feed, livestock, poultry and agribusiness sectors. International experts shared the latest harvest quality data, market outlook, farm management practices and sustainability initiatives. 

The Council facilitated direct exchanges between U.S. industry leaders and Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture, grain importers and feed manufacturers — reinforcing confidence in the reliability and sustainability of U.S. grain supplies. 

Year-round, the Council sustained market intelligence through translated harvest and export cargo quality reports, market publications and social media outreach, cementing its role as Taiwan’s most trusted source of grain market information. 

These coordinated efforts produced measurable results. U.S. corn exports to Taiwan grew from 1.732 million MT in marketing year 2023-24 to 2.364 million MT in MY 2024-25 — a 632,000 MT increase valued at approximately $161 million. In 2025, the Council invested $117,764 in MAP funding for corn promotion in Taiwan, generating an estimated return on investment of $1,367 in export sales for every $1 of MAP funds invested. 

This success shows how sustained MAP-supported technical outreach, trade missions and industry partnerships continue to expand demand for U.S. corn in Taiwan — strengthening commercial relationships and cementing the United States’ position as Taiwan’s preferred supplier of high-quality, sustainably produced feed grains. 

The Council will continue working around the world to promote the quality, reliability and value of U.S. coarse grain products, co-products and ethanol. These successes in Mexico and Taiwan with the support from ICMC makes it possible for USGBC to continue its mission of developing markets, enabling trade and improving lives.