The U.S. and Japan this week agreed to accelerate trade talks to advance a trade agreement. The first round of talks focused on agriculture and cars, according to Bloomberg News. Japan’s Economic Revitalization Minister will meet again next week with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to continue the negotiation. Japan is seeking to avoid U.S. tariffs on cars exported to …
Trump Responds to No Ag in EU Talks, Threatens Tariffs
President Donald Trump is threatening tariffs against the European Union if the EU doesn’t bring agriculture to the trade negotiation table. Trump has threatened tariffs on European cars and auto parts imports, a move the EU has previously said it would abandon the talks over, according to Politico. The EU agreed to move forward with the trade talks earlier this …
U.S. Agriculture Disappointed in EU Trade Talks Without Ag
U.S. agriculture is disappointed in the European Union’s failure to include agriculture in trade talks with the United States. “Agriculture will certainly not be part of these negotiations,” European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said earlier this week while announcing the EU is ready to begin trade talks with the United States. The two sides seek an agreement before the …
U.S. Talking Trade with Japan This Week
Trade talks are underway between Japan and the United States this week as Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer meets with Japan’s Economic Advisor. Agriculture complaints are “front and center” according to Politico, ever since President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the then-called Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Trump administration is expected to push for similar concessions for U.S. agriculture as seen in the …
U.S. Pork Still Pushing for Quick Trade Agreement with Japan
The U.S. pork industry is pushing for trade talks with Japan to get underway immediately. Politico says the industry is lobbying the administration to move quickly in striking a favorable deal. Nick Giordano, vice president and counsel for the National Pork Producers Association, spoke during a recent media roundtable. He says the 11-nation CPTPP, which is the new name for …
Rubio, Colleagues Raise Concerns Regarding Lack of Effective Trade Enforcement for Seasonal Produce in USMCA
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), and Al Lawson (D-FL) led a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives in a letter raising concerns to United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer regarding the lack of progress in the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) with respect to improved mechanisms to initiate and sustain legitimate anti-dumping and countervailing …
Cotton Industry Hopeful About China Trade Talks
The National Cotton Council (NCC) recently joined with more than 40 other agricultural organizations in writing a letter to President Trump regarding the current trade situation with China. Reece Langley, NCC vice president of Washington Operations, is hopeful the current United States-China talks will restore normal trade relations. Last week, President Trump said trade talks with China “are rounding the turn” …
Commissioner Nikki Fried Letter to USTR’s Lighthizer: “Put American Farmers & Families First”
Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried sent a letter to Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, the United States Trade Representative, raising serious concerns about the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The pending multilateral trade agreement and successor to NAFTA, called “definitely worse than the current situation,” threatens to devastate business for American seasonal crop growers, particularly those in Florida, Georgia, and other Southeast states due to a lack of …
AFBF Concerned about Labor, Trade if Border Closed
The American Farm Bureau Federation is urging the administration to make sure that any steps undertaken to tighten enforcement at the U.S. border do not create more uncertainty for agricultural producers. “Right now, farmers and ranchers are toughing it out,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Many of our products are caught up in a trade dispute. Mother Nature has devastated the …
U.S. Pork Can’t Afford Loss of Mexican Market
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) asked the Trump administration to carefully consider the fallout from cutting off trade between the United States and Mexico. U.S. pork producers and other American farmers are already facing mounting financial losses from retaliatory tariffs by Mexico and China. The following statement may be attributed to David Herring, president of the National Pork Producers …