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DATCP staff report first-quarter export growth, preview trade missions and grant windows
Summary
DATCP staff reported Wisconsin exports were up 2.16% year-to-date with $1.01 billion in reported sales for the period; staff detailed market trends (notably growth in India and Thailand), described multi-year market-entry work in Brazil, announced WIAE activity metrics and upcoming WEDC IMAG grant windows and trade missions, and reported a new bureau director hire.
Jacob, a DATCP international staff member, reported first-quarter 2025 export numbers and outlined where staff will focus trade promotion efforts in the coming year.
"The first quarter was relatively unscathed for the state, and actually our sales grew for the state, 2.16% year to date," Jacob said, adding that total reported sales for the state in the period were $1,010,000,000. He noted sector-level trends (dairy growth, beverages up ~45%, wood down) and country-level moves (India up 43% in confectionery and cranberries; Thailand up 47% driven by whey and dairy ingredient demand; Mexico down in milled products but cheese up).
Staff discussed the Southeast Asia trade mission to Thailand and Indonesia and emphasized the role of partners—UW campuses, World Dairy Expo and USDA Foreign Agricultural Service—in opening market doors. DATCP staff also described ongoing Brazil work, including regulatory timelines: registering products and market-entry processes there can take roughly a year.
Jane Kroll summarized WIAE activity year-to-date: 40 trade promotion activities, 169 participating companies, $11,000,000 in immediate sales reported and $17,600,000 in anticipated one-year sales, with an estimated 241 anticipated jobs. Julie Lhasa announced that Ira Friedman will join as export and business bureau director on July 14, citing his USAID leadership background.
WEDC representatives said the International Market Access Grant (IMAG) window for FY26 opens July 1 and runs through Oct. 15; grants will be $10,000 for companies that have not completed export training and $30,000 for eligible graduates (up to one grant per year for graduated companies). WEDC also previewed trade missions to Japan (Sept.), Canada (Nov.), Mexico (Feb.) and Germany (June 2026) and asked members to encourage nominations for the governor's export achievement awards (nomination deadline July 15).
Staff said they will share slides and links and continue work to refine ROI tracking for missions and grants. The meeting closed unofficially at about 10:41 when the chair was no longer present.
