USDA Announces Additional RAPP Funding to Expand and Diversify Export Markets

On August 5th, The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that an additional $300 million will be made available through the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program to help grow export markets.

Secretary Vilsack announced in October 2023 that USDA would use $1.2 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation to establish RAPP to help U.S. exporters expand their customer base beyond established markets such as China, Mexico and Canada, which collectively account for nearly half of all current export sales. In May, USDA allocated the first $300 million in RAPP funding to 66 U.S. organizations to implement hundreds of market development projects focusing on a wide range of products and markets.

The USDA published a Notice of Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov on August 5th, with a deadline for applications set for October 4th. Allocations are expected to be announced by the end of the year. Like the first round of RAPP funding, the USDA is once again reserving $25 million for initiatives in Africa, a region with some of the fastest-growing economies yet among the lowest levels of U.S. export market investment globally.

The RAPP program complements GCCA’s efforts with the FRIDGE Act and Farm Bill to boost U.S. trade opportunities. GCCA is working actively with multiple organizations that have received RAPP funding to identify opportunities to fund cold chain development through the program.