Underscoring a commitment to strengthening trade relationships for U.S. farmers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a Trade Reciprocity for U.S. Manufacturers and Producers (TRUMP) Mission to Argentina and Ecuador in early June. The mission, led by USDA’s Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Luke J. Lindberg, aimed to expand market access in South America.

Staff from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) led industry tours, hosted business-to-business meetings, and met with Argentine and Ecuadorian officials to support U.S. trade priorities and American agricultural producers. Agricultural Attaché Robert Tuebner and Agricultural Counselor Anthony Gilbert, both based in Peru, also joined the mission.

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) joined other agricultural cooperators on the mission, sending Brian Liedl, USW vice president of overseas operations, and Miguel Galdos, regional director for South America.

While Argentina is a competing world wheat exporter, Ecuador is a rising importer of U.S. wheat. Ecuador ranked as the second-largest importer of U.S. soft red winter (SRW) wheat for the 2025/2026 marketing year, importing more than 420,000 metric tons (MT) (15.4 million bushels), in addition to a small purchase of U.S. hard red winter (HRW) wheat.

“U.S. wheat farmers have a real impact in Ecuador, where imports are driven by growing demand in both the milling and aquaculture sectors,” Liedl said. “The USDA TRUMP Mission gave us the opportunity to reinforce relationships with key customers, engage with Ecuador’s rapidly evolving food processing sector and address trade barriers.”

For the USW team, a highlight of the mission was the delegation’s visit to the Grupo Superior biscuit (cookie) plant.

“The visit to Grupo Superior allowed us to see U.S. wheat being made into delicious products that are top-tier in Ecuador and Peru,” Liedl said, noting that Grupo Superior uses almost exclusively U.S. SRW wheat to make its cookies and crackers. The company uses around 60,000 MT (2.2 million bushels) of U.S. SRW annually and produces for export markets, including products destined for shelves in the United States.

Ahead of the official mission, U.S. Wheat also met with key customers in Guayaquil, Ecuador. There, the pair undertook additional technical and trade servicing meetings with key stakeholders in the aquaculture, milling and food processing industries. Ecuadorian customers expressed strong interest in expanding U.S. wheat usage, particularly if logistical barriers and import license issues can be resolved.

“The USDA TRUMP Mission confirmed our strong relationships with key industry players in Ecuador and highlighted significant opportunities for expansion of U.S. wheat into this market,” Liedl said. “Our customers expressed their appreciation for the support of the U.S. wheat industry, while highlighting the need for continued engagement, particularly in addressing logistical, regulatory and technical challenges. Missions like these are instrumental in navigating these challenges together and strengthening long-term collaboration and trust.”