USDA Deputy Secretary Steve Censky had the pleasure of announcing the Senate passage of USMCA to the crowd at the 2020 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Thursday in Altoona, Iowa, and also talked about the signing of the phase one trade deal with China. In addition, Censky discussed actions the Trump Administration has taken on behalf of the biofuel industry, including …
Agriculture Celebrates China Phase One Trade Deal Signing
President Donald Trump signed the historic Phase One Trade Agreement with China Wednesday, an agreement which calls for China to purchase between $40 and $50 billion in American agricultural goods each year for two years. “Together we are righting the wrongs of the past and delivering a future of economic justice and security for American workers, farmers, and families,” said …
NCGA Urges USMCA Passage and RFS Protection
Leaders of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and state corn organizations held a news conference Wednesday morning to urge the Trump Administration and members of Congress to finish the job on outstanding trade and ethanol issues important to corn farmers. Participating in the press conference were NCGA president Kevin Ross of Minden, Iowa; Patty Mann, Ohio Corn & Wheat …
Secretary Perdue Talks Mexico Trade
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue led a trade mission to Mexico this week to investigate new opportunities with our nation’s largest bilateral trading partner and second-largest export market for agricultural products. The secretary was joined by the heads of six state departments of agriculture: Bryan Hurlburt of Connecticut, Celia Gould of Idaho, Joseph Bartenfelder of Maryland, Chris Chinn of …
President Trump Cabinet Meeting Comments on China
President Donald Trump talked about China buying agricultural products during a cabinet meeting on Monday, October 21. “If we could get $20 billion a year from China — that China purchases $20 billion a year of agricultural product — that would be a great thing,” said President Trump. “And I said, ‘I want more.’ They said, “The farmers can’t handle …
US-EU Beef Trade Deal Signed
President Donald J. Trump congratulated members of the nation’s beef cattle industry Friday as the United States and the European Union signed an agreement that is expected to nearly triple the duty-free access for high quality U.S. beef exports to Europe. . “This is a tremendous victory for American farmers, ranchers, and, of course, European consumers because American beef is …
USDA Provides Details of Support Package for Farmers
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and other agency officials announced further details of the $16 billion package “aimed at supporting American agricultural producers while the Administration continues to work on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals.” In May, President Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a relief strategy in line with the estimated impacts of unjustified retaliatory tariffs on …
Study Shows Economic Impact of Grain Exports
A new study commissioned by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) points to the importance of export markets to U.S. farmers. The study highlights the total economic impact of U.S. grain exports to be $55 billion in 2016 and also shows grain exports supporting 271,000 jobs directly or indirectly, according to Kimberly Atkins, vice …
U.S. Grains Council Board Names Next President And CEO
U.S. Grains Council (USGC) Director in Mexico Ryan LeGrand has been named as its next president and chief executive officer, effective next month. LeGrand joined the organization in Mexico in 2015 and has served as the director of the Council’s Mexico City office since 2016. In this capacity, he has overseen the expansion of the Council’s programming in that country …
Ethanol Report from Export Exchange 2018
There was a special focus on the ethanol co-product distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) at the fifth biennial Export Exchange held this past week in Minneapolis. The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) began organizing this event in 2010 with the help of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) to bring together international buyers and domestic sellers of U.S. feedgrains and ethanol …
Export Exchange 2018
Export Exchange is a biennial educational and trade forum for U.S. feed grains that hosts international buyers and end-users of coarse grains and co-products from 35 around countries to meet with U.S. suppliers and service providers across the value chain. The event is co-sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and Growth Energy. Held in Minneapolis, Minnesota …
President Says USMCA is Victory for Farmers
President Donald Trump announced the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement (USMCA) during a Rose Garden press conference Monday. During his remarks, he talked about how the agreement benefits U.S. farmers. This new deal is an especially great victory for our farmers. Our farmers have gone through a lot over the last 15 years. They’ve been taken advantage of by everybody. Prices have …
Preview of Export Exchange 2018
Around 500 attendees from at least 38 countries are expected to be at Export Exchange 2018, coming up October 22-24 in Minneapolis. The event, which brings together international buyers and U.S. sellers of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), was started in 2019 by the U.S. Grains Council and the Renewable Fuels Association. In this edition of The Ethanol Report …
USDA Announces Trade Disruption Relief for Farmers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will take several actions to assist farmers negatively impacted by recent trade actions. President Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a short-term relief strategy to protect agricultural producers while the Administration works on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets in the long run to help American farmers compete globally. Specifically, …
Reaction to Presidential Trade Tariff Actions
Following action by President Trump yesterday to impose tariffs on up to $60 billion in Chinese imports, China is making its list of what U.S. products will be the target of retaliation. The list reportedly includes agricultural products such as U.S. pork, modified ethanol, wine, fruits and nuts, and soybeans are expected to be as well. U.S. Grains Council (USGC) …













