Washington-based S.A. International is forging new markets for fresh Washington cherries in Taiwan. After attending the 2019 USDA Outbound Trade Mission to Taiwan, they have a new customer with big sales potential. The trade mission was coordinated by the Global Connect program of the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA), and funded through the USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP). During a series of face-to-face meetings with buyers, the small company met with a new distributor and secured their first order for fresh Washington cherries. The initial air-shipped orders were completed in the summer of 2019 and have generated new revenue valued at nearly $28,000. S.A. International expects to continue doing business with this distributor for future crop harvests.
“We are facing the overseas economic downturn and are dealing with more competition from others,” shared William Mak, Sales Associate. “It is very important to explore more opportunities by meeting up with the potential buyers face-to-face locally in Taiwan. Face-to-face meetings create confidence for both parties. In the long run, seller and buyer can gradually build up a relationship with each other once they have started to make a deal for the first order.”
Established in 1995, S.A. International is a worldwide fresh fruits and vegetables trading company located in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. They currently ship product to Asia, Middle East, South and Central America countries.
