London, UK — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says there are opportunities for Iowa as the United Kingdom negotiates a free trade agreement with the United States.
The United Kingdom left the European Union in early 2020, three and a half years after voters in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland narrowly approved leaving the trading block. Naig and state ag officials from five other states were in the United Kingdom last week.
The United Kingdom was the 5th largest export market for Iowa in 2019, with about 11 million in grain sales that year, along with 50 million dollars worth of Iowa-made machinery. Naig sees an opportunity to boost pork and beef exports to the UK, as well as a focus on relationships with British tech companies.
And Naig suggests ag tech companies in the UK may be an area for growth.
Naig says that means there are partnerships or investment opportunities in Iowa.
The US is already a major ethanol supplier to the United Kingdom.
In September of 2021, E10 became the standard blend of fuel at gas stations in Great Britain. Last month, Naig hosted Mark Spencer, the UK’s Minister of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries during World Food Prize events in Iowa.
Naig was the only Midwestern official in the trade delegation. The other state ag officials were from Arizona, Tennessee, Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
