AIT's New Agricultural Trade Office Director, Keith Schneller

PR0637E | Date: 2006-08-22

Keith Schneller recently arrived in Taiwan to serve as the director of the Agricultural Trade Office, part of the Agriculture Section at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).  The Agricultural Trade Office is responsible for promoting the exports of U.S. food, agricultural and beverage products to Taiwan.  Taiwan is the sixth largest market for U.S. agricultural exports.

Mr. Schneller grew up on a farm in the U.S. state of Colorado, where his family raised corn, beans, and sugar beets.  He holds a B.Sc. in economics from Colorado State University.  He also holds an M.Sc. in agricultural economics from the University of London, where he studied on a Rotary International Scholarship. 

Mr. Schneller joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1991 and worked in various assignments in Washington, D.C.  He was assigned to the Agricultural Affairs Office of the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria, from 1995 to 2000, and covered six countries in Eastern Europe.  He then returned to Washington to head up USDA's Global Analysis Group responsible for global grain trade analysis.

Mr. Schneller spent the last three years in Guangzhou, China, as the director of the Agricultural Trade Office at the U.S. Consulate.  He developed a keen interest in Chinese culture and language during his time there. 

Mr. Schneller and his wife, Julie, have two children. 

AIT's Agricultural Trade Office is located on the 7th floor of the Lotus Building at 136 Ren-Ai Road Section 3 in downtown Taipei.  The phone number is (02)2705 6536 or you can reach Mr. Schneller at atotaipei@usda.gov.