USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS) has announced the participant list for its upcoming trade mission to Melbourne, Australia from August 30 to September 2, 2026. Through USDA-FAS agribusiness trade missions, U.S. agribusinesses connect directly with overseas buyers to expand market access and boost exports for U.S. producers. Luke J. Lindberg, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, will lead the delegation to Australia. The delegation includes 38 agribusinesses and trade organizations, as well as representatives from 10 State departments of agriculture. USLGE will be participating.

In 2025, Australia imported nearly $1.7 billion in U.S. agricultural products, making it the 18th-largest export market for U.S. agricultural products. In New Zealand, U.S. exports reached $612 million in 2025.

In addition to brokering business-to-business meetings, USDA-FAS staff and regional experts will hold in-depth market briefings and host site visits and networking events to strengthen trade relationships.

For more information on USDA trade missions, visit fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-missions.

Source: USDA-FAS Newsroom, August 24, 2026

As a possible solution to relieve the pressure on livestock farmers to obtain quality genetics from South Africa, a US delegation this week punted the idea to secure high-quality breeding stock from alternative sources. Given the current status quo where movement of live animals from South Africa to Namibia is severely restricted because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic, the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia in partnership with the Namibian Stud Breeders Association this week hosted a multiday roadshow with representatives of the USLGE and USDA-FAS.

The visit connected U.S. industry experts to Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform officials, as well as local breeders and agricultural stakeholders to discuss expanded trade and technical cooperation and how it will assist local breeders to obtain quality genetic material. The U.S. delegation led by USDA-FAS Agricultural Minister-Counselor Oliver Flake met livestock board and local stud breeders to gain insight into the depth and quality of local industry. The visit concluded with an industry discussion in Windhoek, where Namibian breeders and U.S. representatives identified practical opportunities for importing and exporting breeding animals and reproductive material.

The delegation’s visit to Namibia is part of a broader regional tour with stops in Zambia and Zimbabwe to deepen agricultural trade partnerships and promote scientific cooperation across the region.

Source: Mandisa Rasmeni, Namibian Economist, Agriculture, August 7, 2026