Following implementation day of President Trump’s tariffs on China, the nation responded quickly to retaliate with previously threatened penalties on U.S. pork, beef, soybeans and automobiles. Meat industry publication Meatingplace reports China says Trump has “violated World Trade Organization rules and launched the largest trade war in economic history to date.” The first wave of tariffs was imposed Friday, which …
Japan TPP Ratification Brings Concerns for U.S. Wheat
U.S. wheat farmers are concerned with the recent move by Japan to ratify the updated Trans-Pacific Partnership last week. U.S. Wheat Associates says implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership without the United States is “a time bomb” set to demolish more than 60 years of work to develop a “large and loyal market” for U.S. wheat in Japan. …
Farm Bill Conference Could be Slow
Lawmakers are back on Capitol Hill this week but getting the farm bill to the finish line may be a slow process. The Hagstrom Report speculates the process will be sluggish, based on statements from the office of Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. His office stated: Chairman Roberts “looks forward” to working with his counterparts to “provide …
EPA Seeking “New Tone”
The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking a “new tone” with a change in leadership. Andrew Wheeler, who now serves as the acting administrator of the EPA, is aiming for a more transparent direction with “a change coming,” compared to how former administrator Scott Pruitt ran the agency. The EPA says Wheeler will be open about his schedule, speaking engagements and …
Levy County Forester Named Florida Farmer of the Year
Lynetta Usher Griner has received a prestigious honor for her business success and her contributions to her community. Earlier this month a panel of judges selected Griner as the 2018 Florida Farmer of the Year. Officially titled the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Ag Expo Florida Farmer of the Year, the award recognizes outstanding agriculturists in each of the 10 states in the Southeast. …
Equipment Manufacturers: Trade War Bad for Business, Risks Jobs
Dennis Slater, President of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, says his organization is disappointed that the Trump Administration is moving forward with more tariffs on China. Slater says the tariffs target vital parts and components used in equipment manufacturing throughout the U.S. “They will also drive up the cost of manufacturing in the U.S. and risk many of the 1.3 …
Trump Looking at Even Higher Tariffs
A Bloomberg report says President Donald Trump is threatening to put a tariff on every single import from China. The world’s two largest economies exchanged blows in a trade war that isn’t expected to end anytime in the near future. After months of trade rhetoric back and forth, a 25 percent tariff took effect on $34 billion Chinese goods entering …
Sugar Policy Reformers Aren’t Done
Business and taxpayer groups trying to overhaul federal sugar policy say they’re down, but not out, after the Senate failed to consider their amendment during the farm bill debate. Politico says the Alliance for Fair Suger Policy includes the National Confectioners Association, the American Bakers Association, as well as retailer and consumer groups. The group blames the lack of action …
China Tariff On U.S. Pork Now Tops 60 Percent
U.S. pork producers now face punitive tariffs of 62 percent on exports to China, a market that represented 17 percent of total U.S. exports by value in 2017. China announced a new 25 percent tariff in response to U.S. action under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. That tariff is on top of the 25 percent punitive duty …
Conaway and Roby Discuss Pending Farm Bill with Wiregrass Constituents
U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway and U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, R-Alabama, met with over 100 farmers in Troy today to discuss final passage of the farm bill before October. The bill, which is voted on every fiveyears, will reauthorize food, conservation and agricultural programs that benefit farmers and consumers. “What you can do between now and the end …