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 …
Farmers for Free Trade Expands Coalition
Over 80 of the nation’s leading trade associations representing thousands of businesses and workers today announced the formation of Americans for Free Trade a multi-industry coalition aimed at opposing tariffs and highlighting the benefits of international trade to the U.S. economy. This new coalition will immediately join Farmers for Free Trade, the coalition backed by the nation’s largest ag commodity …
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, …
Farm Foundation Forum Features Ag Trade Perspectives
A timely Farm Foundation Forum this week featured the current Chief Agriculture Negotiator of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and three of his predecessors going back to 2001 commenting on the current trade environment for agriculture. Ambassador Gregg Doud, current Chief Agriculture Negotiator Ambassador Darci Vetter, former Chief Agriculture Negotiator (2014-2016) Ambassador Richard Crowder, former Chief Agriculture Negotiator …
Senators Excited About Prospects for TPP Revisit
Farm state senators came out of a meeting with President Trump Thursday very optimistic about the future for agricultural trade. Republican Senators Pat Roberts of Kansas, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse of Nebraska held a press conference after the meeting and all agreed it was very productive, but the potential for re-entering the Trans Pacific …
Trump on Ag Trade and Ethanol
Governors and senators from agricultural states such as Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, North and South Dakota had a meeting with President Donald Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer Thursday to discuss recent trade actions and how farmers may be impacted. In a press availability prior to the start of the meeting, President Trump talked about NAFTA, China, the European Union, …
China Adds Tariffs on Beef and Soybeans
More U.S. agricultural products are on the second list of retaliatory tariffs from China, including both soybeans and beef, of 25 percent. Kent Bacus, Director of International Trade and Market Access for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), calls the action unsettling but not surprising. “This is a battle between two governments, and the unfortunate casualties will be America’s cattlemen …
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) …
USSEC Indonesia Trade Mission
The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) hosted its 13th Annual Southeast Asia Soy Food Symposium in Indonesia, bringing together all stakeholders in the soy food industry in that region. This virtual ag newsroom includes links to photos and audio content available free of charge for digital or print publication or broadcast. USSEC SE Asia Buyers Conference Photo Album Audio Bringing …
Study Shows Foreign Competitors Increase Investment In Developing Ag Exports While U.S. Lags Behind
The latest analysis of foreign export promotion program investment shows that several competing countries and the European Union spent close to $1 billion in public funds on agricultural export promotion in 2016, outspending the United States 4 to 1. That is an increase of 70 percent in real competitive public spending since 2011*. U.S. public funding for the two largest …
White Paper Explores Opportunities for U.S. Ag in Cuba
Two leading advocates for normalizing trade with Cuba announced the release of a new white paper, Opportunities for U.S. Agriculture in Cuba: A White Paper, that examines how 16 farm states could benefit if the U.S. repeals longstanding restrictions on food sales to the island nation. The paper was produced by Cuba Trade Magazine and the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for …
Ethanol Industry Asks USTR to Suspend Brazil GSP Status
The U.S. ethanol industry is asking U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to suspend Brazil’s designated country status under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) due to “protectionist and market distorting actions in implementing a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) that affects imports of U.S. ethanol.” A letter was sent to Lighthizer this week, signed by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Growth …
Secretary Perdue in Europe
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has been on a whirlwind trip around Europe for the past several days, starting with meetings in London before taking part in the G-7 ministerial, taking part in World Food Day in Rome and meeting Pope Francis yesterday, and concluding his trip today in Madrid. “It’s been a very productive trip,” said Perdue during …
AFBF Endorses Farmers for Free Trade
American Farm Bureau Federation Zippy Duvall took part in a press conference this week to support Farmers for Free Trade, a bipartisan campaign to rebuild support for trade at the grassroots level. Farmers for Free Trade, led by former Senators Max Baucus and Richard Lugar, is a bipartisan, non-profit organization that informs, mobilizes and amplifies the voice of U.S. farmers …
Agricultural Export Coalition Calls for Increased Federal Funding for Export Programs
More than 120 members of the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports are urging leaders of the House Committee on Agriculture to increase funding for USDA export programs in the new farm bill to generate additional demand for U.S. farm products in an increasingly competitive global market. In a Sept. 19, 2017 letter to Committee Chairman Michael Conaway (R-TX), and …