USDA’s top two officials are talking trade this week in two different regions. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is traveling to Japan Nov. 19-21, and Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Krysta Harden is going to Africa, Nov. 17-20.

Secretary Vilsack will be meeting with Japanese officials to discuss the recently concluded Trans-Pacific Partnership and the strong history of trade between the U.S. and Japan.

“The bilateral U.S.-Japanese relationship is important to the prosperity of both countries, and I look forward to using my time in Japan to strengthen our bond for years to come,” said Vilsack. “This is my first meeting with both Ministers, and I intend to underscore how the TPP will strengthen trade throughout the Pacific Rim region, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs in the food and agricultural sectors in the United States and Japan, alike,” Vilsack said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Harden’s delegation will meet with potential customers from more than a dozen countries across sub-Saharan Africa, forging relationships and learning about the market conditions and business environment in the region.

“Sub-Saharan Africa’s strong economic outlook, growing middle class, and surging demand for consumer-oriented foods creates a promising market for U.S. food and agricultural products,” Harden said. “Over the past decade, U.S. agricultural exports to this region increased by more than 50 percent, totaling $2.3 billion in 2014.”

The mission includes 22 U.S. companies and four U.S. agricultural commodity trade associations representing a variety of agricultural products including grains and feeds, peanuts, soybeans, meat and poultry products, agricultural machinery, and more.