(NAFB) – A combination of competitive freight prices and market-specific educational efforts from the U.S. Grains Council has led to the first-ever shipment of dried distiller’s grains with solubles arriving in Tunisia.

The shipment was delivered earlier this month and marked the opening of new opportunities for American growers and shippers to get products into the Mediterranean region. The USGC’s Middle East and Africa Office says the council’s strategy is focusing on marketing the U.S. advantage in Tunisia for corn and corn co-product imports. The feed industry in Tunisia is a mature market compared to other neighboring countries, and the Council’s efforts have focused on trade servicing and promoting these products.

Bulk carrier rates on several key routes in the region are higher than previous record levels, which means some importers are looking at other options. This has boosted container rates in the U.S., with feed grain importers near the Mediterranean Sea and Arab Gulf opting to use containers rather than bulk shipments to reduce feed costs.

The USGC’s regional office is actively supporting the country’s protein demand growth through promoting U.S. corn and its co-products, organizing events, and hosting industry stakeholders in the United States.