The 11 remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership are moving forward with a modified trade agreement, known as the Comprehensive and progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or the CP-TPP. Officials with the U.S. Meat Export Federation say this updated deal will leave American producers in the dust. Federation economist Erin Borror says market access remains the biggest concern for U.S. …
Crawford Renews Calls to Open Ag Trade with Cuba
Arkansas Representative Rick Crawford is renewing his call to open agricultural trade with Cuba. The Republican says his proposal is an alternative to repealing the Cuban trade embargo, allowing the U.S. to tap into Cuba’s $2 billion agricultural market, according to Politico. Crawford first proposed the bill in January that would cut back restrictions on U.S. financing for agriculture exports, …
South Korea To Hold KORUS Public Hearing
South Korea will hold a second public meeting regarding the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, known as KORUS. The meeting was announced after the first public meeting was disrupted by angry farmers and livestock breeders, according to the Korea Herald, a Korea-based newspaper. The second public hearing taking place Friday (today) allows Policymakers, trade experts and citizens to take part in …
NAFTA Withdrawal Threat Already Affecting U.S. Trade
Even though the Trump Administration hasn’t followed through on a potential threat to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the possibility is already affecting the U.S. Grain Trade. The fifth round of talks wrapped up last week in Mexico, with all sides promising to get the deal done “as soon as possible.” U.S Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer …
Trump Asks Roberts for Raincheck on NAFTA Discussion
President Trump took a trip to visit Republicans on Capitol Hill Tuesday with a focus on finding more votes for the tax-cut bill. However, Senate Ag Committee Chair Pat Roberts took the opportunity to bring up agricultural concern over the NAFTA negotiations. As the president walked out of the meeting, Politico says he asked Roberts, “How are your farmers?” Roberts …
Eliminating Poultry Trade Barriers Part of NAFTA Negotiation Objectives
New items added to the list of negotiation objectives include eliminating Canadian tariffs on U.S. poultry as part of the next round of North American Free Trade Agreement talks. The next round of negotiations, scheduled for next month in Washington, D.C., will include the new objectives by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, according to meat industry publication Meatingplace. Lighthizer recently …
Canada Group Issues Report on Trade Without NAFTA
A Canada-based financial group outlines trade without the North American Free Trade Agreement in a new report called “The Day After NAFTA.” BMO Financial Group of Montreal published the report that says the Canadian food and beverage industry would be highly vulnerable without NAFTA, and that Canadian and U.S. crop producers would face a moderate level of vulnerability. Specifically, Canadian …
Trade Tops China, Canada Meeting Agenda
Trade will top the agenda between China and Canada next week during Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to China. The visit is aimed at promoting a “progressive trade agenda” that Canada says will “create good, middle-class jobs,” according to Bloomberg News. The trip comes as Canada is in the midst of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with …
South Korea Minister Says No Concessions in Farm-Sector KORUS Discussions
The South Korean trade minister says his country will not take a step backward in the upcoming discussions on updating the South Korean – U.S. free trade deal, known as KORUS. The Korean Herald Dot Com says he told reporters that the government is taking a “strong stand on the agriculture sector and will not retreat any further.” This was …
Grassley, Ag State Senators Maintain Push for NAFTA
Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley remains optimistic that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations will come to a conclusion that benefits agriculture. The Gazette Dot Com said Grassley’s optimism remains in spite of the hard-line taken by the Trump administration in the negotiations. Grassley and other ag-state senators have been continually pushing for the trilateral agreement to continue. …