USDA Launches On-Line Directory

April 24, 2000

USDA has launched an on-line directory of exporters of food, fish, fiber and forest products to help potential customers search for suppliers of specific U.S. products. USDA's agricultural attaches, trade officers, and Washington-based staff will promote the list to overseas buyers and importers. The system also permits on-line registration and maintenance by suppliers, making it easy to

keep their product and company information updated.

"Increasing exports is vital to the health of U.S. agriculture, but buyers frequently have trouble finding U.S. suppliers of the products they need," Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said. "This directory provides information to help importers find the products they want and promote them effectively to their customers."

The U.S. supplier list is designed to be especially helpful to small- to medium-sized firms that otherwise might not get the exposure they need to benefit from export markets. Around 2,800 exporters participated in the paper version of the program in 1999, and more than 4,000 are expected to participate in 2000.

Potential buyers can access the on-line directory of U.S. suppliers by logging onto the Foreign Agricultural Service Internet site at http://www.fas.usda.gov/buying.html and selecting U.S. products (suppliers)on-Line. U.S. food, fish, fiber, and forest product suppliers can register their companies and products for inclusion in the on-line directory at http://www.fas.usda.gov/ussupplier