U.S. Grains Council
The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council is a 1960-founded, Washington, D.C.-based non-profit trade association that develops international markets for U.S. corn, sorghum, barley, bioethanol, DDGS, and corn gluten across 75+ countries, serving grain producers, exporters, and ethanol/biofuel members through market development, trade policy advocacy, and technical assistance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What U.S. Grains Council does
The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC), also operating under the trade name U.S. Grains Council, is a private non-profit trade association founded in 1960 and headquartered at 20 F Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, D.C. The organization develops international markets for U.S. grains, bioethanol, and grain co-products on behalf of corn, sorghum, barley, and related industry members. Its core "products" are the commodity categories it champions — corn, sorghum, barley, bioethanol, distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and corn gluten — supported by a recurring library of market intelligence publications (Market Perspectives, DDGS Weekly Report, Ethanol Market and Pricing Data Report, Corn Harvest Quality Report, Sorghum Harvest Quality Report) and data tools (Feed Grains in All Forms Portal, FOB Price Charts, Bulk Freight Indices, Top U.S. Export Customers). This is not a technology platform; the underlying capabilities are trade policy advocacy, technical assistance to foreign buyers, trade mission execution, and content publishing.
USGBC operates through seven advisory teams (Asia, Ethanol, Innovation & Sustainability, Middle East/Africa/South Asia, Trade Policy, Value-Added, Western Hemisphere) and maintains direct regional offices in Vietnam (regional HQ), Nantong, and Chengdu, with named personnel such as Regional Director Caleb Wurth, Vietnam Country Manager Tran Trong Nghia, and Regional Ethanol Consultant Kent Yeo. In 2024/2025, U.S. corn exports reached 72.5 million metric tons across 66 countries, U.S. ethanol exports reached 2.1 billion gallons, and U.S. grains/co-products/ethanol reached buyers in more than 75 countries.
Revenue mechanics are membership-based: dues and contributions from grain producers, processors, exporters, and ethanol producers (POET and newly added Repsol are documented member contributors), augmented through collaboration with USDA on international market development programs. There is no commercial product sale, no disclosed public revenue figure, and the organization prices its services through membership tiers rather than transactional pricing. The customer base is horizontal, spanning grain traders, livestock/pork producers (Muyuan Group, Latin American delegations), beverage/brewing companies, and ethanol/biofuel stakeholders, with notable enterprise engagements in China and Vietnam.
U.S. Grains Council firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- U.S. Grains Council
- Legal name
- U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council
- Website
- https://grains.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council is a 1960-founded, Washington, D.C.-based non-profit trade association that develops international markets for U.S. corn, sorghum, barley, bioethanol, DDGS, and corn gluten across 75+ countries, serving grain producers, exporters, and ethanol/biofuel members through market development, trade policy advocacy, and technical assistance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
U.S. Grains Council industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Trade Services
- NAICS
- Grain and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers (424510)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Import/Export & Cross-Border Food Commodity Trading (AFAIAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sorghum & Millet Farming (AFAGAAAF), Pulses & Legumes Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAG)
Keywords
Where U.S. Grains Council is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
U.S. Grains Council business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Services: USGBC maintains membership from industry stakeholders including grain producers, processors, and exporters. The organization provides membership services, maintains a member directory, and coordinates member engagement through events and programs.
- Member Organization Contributions: Council members such as ethanol producers (e.g., POET) contribute to and participate in Council programs to strengthen relationships with international markets and support Latin America's pork sector development.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
U.S. Grains Council product offering
Product offeringCore offering
USGBC develops international markets for U.S. grains (corn, sorghum, barley), co-products (DDGS, corn gluten), and bioethanol through trade missions, technical assistance, market intelligence publications, and trade policy advocacy. The Council connects U.S. exporters with foreign buyers and policymakers across more than 75 countries, supported by a member-based funding model and USDA-coordinated programs.
Product overview
U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) operates as a trade organization providing market development services rather than a commercial product company. Its portfolio consists of grain commodities (Corn, Sorghum, Barley), bioethanol fuel, and ethanol co-products (DDGS, Corn Gluten). These are supported by a suite of market intelligence reports including Market Perspectives (weekly coarse grain update), DDGS Weekly Report, Ethanol Market and Pricing Data Report, and harvest quality reports for Corn and Sorghum. Data and analytics tools include the Feed Grains in All Forms Portal, Top U.S. Export Customers tool, Converting Grain Units calculator, FOB Price Charts, and Bulk Freight Indices. The organization also provides resources for importers including an Importer Manual, Purchase Inquiry system, and Notice to Exporters. Sustainability initiatives cover corn, barley, and sorghum sustainability programs. USGBC sells grains, co-products, and ethanol to buyers in more than 75 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Corn Market Development
Quantifiable outcome
- 66 countries purchased U.S. corn; 26 countries purchased U.S. sorghum in 2024/2025
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use U.S. Grains Council
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
U.S. Grains Council technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
U.S. Grains Council partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RepsolcoreRepsol joined the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council as a member. The partnership strengthens Council activities in the ethanol and biofuel sectors, supporting market development for U.S. agricultural products in energy applications.
- POETcorePOET, a major ethanol producer and Council member, hosted a delegation visit as part of the Council's program to strengthen relationships with pork producer associations and support Latin America's pork sector development through DDGS promotion.
- LongRunminorCouncil member LongRun met with delegation in China to discuss promoting U.S. grains and co-products in the Chinese market.
- Iowa Corn Promotion BoardminorIowa Corn Promotion Board hosted Latin American pork producer delegation visit during World Pork Expo as part of Council-led market development activities.
- U.S. Agricultural Trade Office in ChinacoreThe U.S. Agricultural Trade Office in China organized the U.S. Pavilion at the China Animal Husbandry Expo, where USGBC hosted a booth to promote U.S. feed grains.
- Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT)coreUSGBC supported Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade throughout the country's E10 fuel blending policy journey through technical assistance, industry engagement, policy advisory, and international study missions.
- Vietnam Fuel IndustrycoreCollaboration with Vietnamese government agencies and industry stakeholders to support Vietnam's fuel ethanol program development and E10 implementation.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
U.S. Grains Council competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- U.S. Wheat Associates: U.S.-based non-profit trade association that develops international markets for U.S. wheat through overseas offices and technical assistance. Closely analogous to USGBC's model for corn, sorghum, and barley — same funding structure (USDA cooperators + producer checkoffs), same overseas technical assistance playbook.
- U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC): Non-profit that promotes U.S. soybeans and soybean products globally via trade servicing, market access, and technical support. Operates the same USDA-cooperator model and competes with USGBC for share of voice within U.S. agricultural export market development.
- U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF): Non-profit trade association that builds international demand for U.S. red meat. Shares the cooperator-funded, overseas-office-based model with USGBC and frequently partners with USGBC on livestock-feed-related market development programs.
- USA Rice Federation: National trade association representing the U.S. rice industry with international promotion activity. Comparable in size, structure, and overseas market-development focus, though focused on rice rather than coarse grains.
- North American Export Grain Association (NAEGA): Trade association representing grain and oilseed exporters with a strong focus on trade policy, phytosanitary, and logistics issues. Highly complementary and overlapping membership with USGBC in facilitating U.S. grain exports.
Emerging players
- Renewable Fuels Association (RFA): National trade association for the U.S. ethanol industry. While more domestically focused than USGBC, RFA overlaps directly on ethanol market development and policy advocacy and shares key members such as POET.
Broad incumbents
- American Feed Industry Association (AFIA): Largest U.S. trade association representing the animal feed manufacturing industry. Overlaps with USGBC on feed-grain utilization and policy, though AFIA represents the manufacturer/processor side rather than the upstream producer/exporter side.
- Corn Refiners Association (CRA): National trade association representing the corn wet milling industry (HFCS, corn starch, ethanol). Shares significant overlap with USGBC on corn utilization and policy advocacy, particularly in the processed-products and ethanol segments.
- American Farm Bureau Federation: Largest U.S. general-farm organization with broad policy advocacy across all crops and livestock. Larger and more politically focused than USGBC, with overlapping membership and frequent policy coordination on trade and biofuels.
Others
- USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS): U.S. government agency that links U.S. agriculture to the world through market intelligence, trade policy, and capacity building. Functions as USGBC's primary government partner and cooperator funder rather than a direct competitor, but partially overlaps in international market-development activities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
U.S. Grains Council social profiles
Digital presenceU.S. Grains Council financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
U.S. Grains Council leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
U.S. Grains Council funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
U.S. Grains Council M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about U.S. Grains Council
What does U.S. Grains Council do?
USGBC develops international markets for U.S. grains (corn, sorghum, barley), co-products (DDGS, corn gluten), and bioethanol through trade missions, technical assistance, market intelligence publications, and trade policy advocacy. The Council connects U.S. exporters with foreign buyers and policymakers across more than 75 countries, supported by a member-based funding model and USDA-coordinated programs.
Is U.S. Grains Council a public or private company?
U.S. Grains Council is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was U.S. Grains Council founded?
U.S. Grains Council was founded in 1960. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is U.S. Grains Council based?
U.S. Grains Council is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does U.S. Grains Council make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Services are the primary driver. The others are member Organization Contributions.
Who are U.S. Grains Council's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are U.S. Wheat Associates, U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), USA Rice Federation and North American Export Grain Association (NAEGA). Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), Corn Refiners Association (CRA) and American Farm Bureau Federation. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is listed as an others.
Does U.S. Grains Council have an API?
No public API is recorded for U.S. Grains Council.
What industry is U.S. Grains Council in?
U.S. Grains Council's product category is Agricultural Trade Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIAKAL, Import/Export & Cross-Border Food Commodity Trading, with a secondary code of AFAGAAAF, Sorghum & Millet Farming. Its NAICS code is 424510 and its SIC code is 700.