agricultural trade
With NAFTA on the horizon, U.S. deals with Canada and Mexico ag issues
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue went north and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross looked south as the Trump administration focused on North American food and farm trade issues. Based on "quite meaningful" progress, Ross allowed an additional 24 hours to complete a deal on sugar imports from Mexico, while Perdue discussed the future of two-way farm trade with Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence Macaulay.
Farm groups to White House: Don’t hurt us in NAFTA renegotiation
With its trade team in place, the Trump administration announced it will renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, fulfilling a campaign promise by the president. Canada and Mexico are two of the three leading markets for U.S. farm exports so U.S. farm groups hope for gains in the talks but fear disruptions.
Field of candidates for USDA posts becoming clearer
The White House has settled on Steve Censky, a top foreign trade official at the USDA before becoming a farm group executive, for the No. 2 job at the department, according to published reports.
U.S. senators push Trump officials for fair trade in dairy to Canada
With Robert Lighthizer now at work as U.S. trade representative, the leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee asked the Trump administration to push for fair trade in ultra-filtered milk sales to Canada.
Nebraska governor says NAFTA is a benefit to farmers
In a preview of the message they’ll give to lawmakers later this week, U.S. farm groups and a delegation of grain and industry officials from Mexico used a news conference in Nebraska to emphasize the value of the U.S.-Mexico ag trade partnership, reported AgDaily.
Administration is on farmers’ side on exports, says Perdue
From President Trump down, the administration recognizes the importance of farm exports, said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, adding that he expects to make frequent trips overseas to promote sales. Farmers voted by wide margins for Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton last November, although his plans to renegotiate NAFTA and overhaul trade pacts in general has stirred concern in rural areas.
Don’t worry about trade, plant as much as possible, says Commerce’s Ross
It sounded like the return of Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz, who urged farmers to plant fence row to fence row, when Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was asked about the uncertainties created by President Trump's plan to renegotiate trade pacts, says DTN. Ross responded, "If I were a farmer, I would plant as much as I can logically plant in today's environment."
Now Trump says he’ll renegotiate NAFTA. Or maybe not.
After rattling the nerves of the farm sector, President Trump said "we're going to give re-negotiation a good strong shot," rather than abandoning the North American Free Trade Agreement. "I decided rather than terminating NAFTA, which would be a pretty big, you know, shock to the system, we will re-negotiate," Trump told reporters while meeting Argentine President Mauricio Macri.
Trump warns Canada, ‘We’re going to take care of our dairy farmers’
At an agricultural roundtable in the White House, President Trump turned up the heat in the U.S.-Canada dairy dispute, saying "we don't want to be taken advantage of by other countries – and that's stopping and stopping fast." At nearly the same time, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told reporters separately that the administration is looking for measures to resume sales of ultra-filtered milk from U.S. farms to Canadian processors.
A sea of issues await Perdue when he walks in the door at USDA
Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue is hours away from becoming U.S. agriculture secretary, with the Senate expected to confirm the nomination by a solid majority this evening. Perdue will enter the job on a tide of goodwill and risks inundation by a flood of issues from budget cuts and agricultural trade to expanded subsidies for cotton and dairy producers.
Trump lists agriculture among U.S. trade issues in meeting with Xi
In the first face-to-face meeting between President Trump and President Xi Jinping of China, the two leaders agreed to a 100-day effort to improve trade relations between the world's two largest economies. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the president "raised serious concerns about the impact of China’s industrial, agricultural, technology, and cyber policies on U.S. jobs and exports."
Despite Brazil meat scandal, JBS expands reach in U.S.
Health authorities in Europe, China, and Brazil have all pulled beef from the Brazilian meat giant JBS off of grocery store shelves, in response to evidence that the company was involved in a massive corruption scandal to export rotten and contaminated meat. Yet in the U.S., the Trump Administration has yet to take meaningful action against JBS imports from Brazil. On the contrary, JBS has continued to expand its reach and political power in the U.S.
First U.S. rice shipment to Cuba in eight years, says trade monitor
The nonpartisan U.S-Cuba Trade and Economic Council says the first shipment of U.S. rice to Cuba in eight years apparently passed unnoticed in the ongoing debate over trade with the island nation. Based in New York, the council, which produces monthly reports on commerce involving the countries, says the cargo was worth $252,000 and sailed from the Houston area.
USTR nominee says he will give priority to agriculture trade
President Trump's nominee for U.S. trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, said at his confirmation hearing that he will follow Trump's "America first" policy. Reminded by farm-state senators of the importance of exports to the agricultural economy, Lighthizer responded, "I assure you we will prioritize agriculture," reported DTN.
Trade issues are top ag investor worry
More than a quarter of respondents to an Agrimoney survey say trade issues, such as introduction of tariffs or disintegration of trade pacts, are "the biggest concern for world agribusiness investors," says the London-based news site. But President Trump won mention by 20 percent of respondents, including one who called him "the elephant in every room, including on ag."
U.S. farm export forecast raised to $136 billion
An upsurge in demand by China, the top customer for U.S. food and agricultural goods, will boost U.S. farm exports to $136 billion this year, the first upturn in sales since 2014, said the Agriculture Department. The quarterly forecast is $2 billion higher than USDA's estimate in November, "largely due to expected increases in livestock, poultry, and dairy exports."
U.S. ag exports to Cuba rise by 36 percent in 2016
Stabenow meets Perdue, wants to learn more about his goals for USDA
The senior Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, said she had a productive conversation with President Trump's nominee for agriculture secretary, but did not endorse former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue for the job. So far, Agriculture Committee member Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota is the only Democrat in the Senate to commit to voting for Perdue.