2017年10月29日至11月9日，中国食品经贸代表团访问了美国德克萨斯州马格奥达县，以探索商机，支持并发展与中国山东聊城市茌平县的姐妹关系。该中国食品经贸代表团成员分别是：《中国食品》杂志主编魏传峰先生、山东金铭企业集团总经理、山东澳士达牧业发展科技有限公司董事长鲁兴中先生、北京亦发兴商贸有限公司董事长马超先生。

代表团此行的主要目的是探讨一项牛肉出口到中国市场的相关事宜，向中国市场及茌平县和周边地区的消费者出售马塔哥达县牛肉，代表团一行并受到马塔哥达县经济发展协会和马塔格尔达县牧民协会的盛情款待。

在中国食品经贸代表团的行程中，在帕拉斯奥斯、海湾城、马格奥达、米德菲尔德、万锦市、埃尔马和沃滋沃斯等地进行了深度考察。并参观了几家当地的企业，蒂德黑尔的设施、帕拉西奥斯港、能源开发中心和沃顿县专科学校湾城分校。代表团在Matagorda的LCRA码头享用午餐，之后沿途漫步欣赏了马加达县海岸线的美景。

该代表团此行的最后一个行程是参观位于沃兹沃斯的哈里森农场，在那里代表团有机会学习到一些畜牧实践，在农场看到了他们准备为牛肉出口而签订的一些牛源。代表团还受到了当地农场主及其家人的盛情邀请，在晚餐时品尝了当地牛肉的质量和美味。

“在Matagorda县，他们非常自豪地成为德克萨斯州最大的产牛县之一，”MCEDC执行主任迈克.费迪南说道。他说：“这些来自中国的朋友们认为这是为他们的消费者购买牛肉的好机会，因为目前我们的牛肉消费市场还很短缺。他们认为，这是一个在业已稳定的本地牛肉产业中增加繁荣的机会。”

代表团受到了Palacios和海湾城市市长和马格奥达县法官纳特麦克唐纳的欢迎。根据国际上关于姐妹城市的说法，姐妹城市、县或州关系是两个国家的两个社区之间广泛的、长期的伙伴关系，郡县之间互惠贸易，并在未来进行教育交流。

本此考察共达成三项共识，第一项是促成美国德州出口中国市场的相关事宜，第二项是就中美文化旅游教育交流达成合作意向，第三项是就中国茌平县与美国德州海湾市达成友好县市关系达成共识。

此次美国考察活动，特别鸣谢美国大自然控股有限公司董事长张和平先生全程陪同考察，并提供全程接待服务。中国食品经贸代表团结束了在美国德州的12天考察访问后乘飞机返回中国，此次考察取得圆满成功！

Wadsworth, Tx – A delegation of Chinese business men and women visited Matagorda County last week to explore business opportunities and support developing a sister county relationship with Chiping County, China.

The delegation was here primarily to explore an export deal to sell Matagorda County beef to consumers in Chiping County and the surrounding region. They were hosted by the Matagorda County Economic Development Corporation and the Matagorda County Cattlemen’s Association.

During their trip, the Chiping County delegation crisscrossed the county with stops in Palacios, Bay City, Matagorda, Midfield,Markham, El Maton and Wadsworth. They toured several local businesses, Tidehaven ISD facilities,the Port of Palacios, the Center for Energy Development and the Bay City campus of Wharton County Junior College. They enjoyed the beauty of Matagorda County’s coastline with an after lunch walk on the LCRA Jetty Pier in Matagorda.

They ended their visit to the county with a tour of Harrison Ranch in Wadsworth where they had a chance to learn some of the animal husbandry practices, observe the grazing pastures and see some of the cattle they hope to contract for beef exports. They also had a chance to sample the quality and tastiness of the local beef at a steak dinner hosted by a group of local cattlemen and their families.

“In Matagorda County we take great pride in being one of the top cattle-producing counties in the state of Texas,” said MCEDC Executive Director Mike Ferdinand. “Our friends from Chiping County see this as an opportunity to acquire beef for their consumers, which is currently is in short supply. We see it as an opportunity for increased prosperity in an already-steady local beef industry.”

They were welcomed to the county by the Palacios and Bay City mayors and Matagorda County Judge Nate McDonald. According to Sister Cities International, a sister city, county, or state relationship is a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities in two partnerships can be based in one or more of four categories – business and trade; youth and education; community development; and arts and culture.

美国德克萨斯州海湾市政府市长会见中国食品经贸代表团一行

Although beef exports are the first effort, if a sister county partnership is formed, beneficial commerce between the counties could reach into other industries and include educational exchanges in the future, said Ferdinand.

文章来源：《经贸实践》 网址: http://www.jmsjzzs.cn/qikandaodu/2021/0317/692.html