A recent study says any rollback of Obama-era moves to normalize relations with Cuba will harm U.S. Agriculture. The study by Engage Cuba, a coalition of private companies seeking an end to the Cuba embargo, says any new regulations on exporting agricultural commodities to Cuba could cost $1.5 billion and affect 2,200 U.S. jobs. That’s on top of the estimated …
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman on U.S. Beef to China
U.S. trade officials are meeting this week with counterparts in China to finalize trade protocols regarding the export of U.S. beef to China. The move follows last month’s announcement that the U.S. and China reached an agreement to restart U.S. beef exports to China, sidelined since 2003. However, as the Financial Times reported last week, China already has access to …
Leaving Paris Climate Accord Could Impact Trade Negotiations
The Donald Trump administration is pledging a plan of bilateral trade negotiations with individual countries, but Politico speculates his latest move may hinder negotiations. President Trump removed the U.S. from the Paris climate accord last week, joining just Nicaragua and Syria as the only nations not to sign the pact. Politico says the withdrawal sets up the potential for other …
NCBA Sees Great Market Potential for Beef in China
There’s been a lot of talks the past few weeks about U.S. beef heading back to China once again. Kent Bacus, with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, told a group at the recent Montana Ag Summit that he expects beef sales to grow tremendously once U.S. beef is allowed back into China. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata …
USTR: No NAFTA Deadline Set
The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office says no deadline has been set to finalize North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations that can’t begin until mid-August. Officials from Mexico have suggested that Mexico and USTR Robert Lighthizer have agreed on a December 15th deadline to wrap up the negotiations. However, the USTR office told Politico this week no date has been set …
Midwest Railroad Watching NAFTA Talks Closely
A railroad company that exports U.S. agricultural products to Mexico is closely watching the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation effort. Kansas City Southern Railway Company CEO Pat Ottensmeyer told KMBC-TV in Kansas City, Missouri: “We once branded ourselves the NAFTA railroad.” Since NAFTA took effect, the railway has grown to send 40 percent of its business to Mexico. The …
TPP Member Nations Moving On
The 11 remaining member nations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement are moving on with finalizing the agreement without the United States. Four months after the United States announced it would withdraw from the trade agreement, the remaining 11 TPP countries agreed to “launch a process to assess options to bring the comprehensive, high-quality agreement into force expeditiously, including how …
Canada: NAFTA Talks to Start in August
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister told the nation’s lawmakers this week negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement would start in August, the earliest possible by U.S. law. Chrystia Freeland briefed Canadian lawmakers Monday on the negotiation process. She says a time crunch is looming, with the U.S. and Mexico in the biggest hurry to start talks. The Canadian Press …
China Issues “Wish List” for U.S. Trade
China has issued a list of concessions that it says can help deliver a “win-win” trade relationship with America. The list is part of an 117-page document released Thursday by the Ministry of Commerce. China would like to improve infrastructure cooperation with the U.S. and accept greater imports of goods ranging from soybeans to aircraft. The report acknowledges the Trump …
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Addresses USMEF
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) held their Spring Conference in Arlington, Virginia last week. One of the speakers was Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. We’ve heard that President Trump’s proposed budget includes cuts to the USDA Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development Program (FMD). Sen. Roberts talked about …