Mexico
Japan offers annual rise in duty-free U.S. rice
With Trans-Pacific Partnership talks at a crucial point, Japan plans to offer immediate duty-free entry for 50,000 tonnes of U.S. rice, gradually rising to 70,000 tonnes, says Nikkei.
Mexico buying more and more U.S. pork
Mexico is becoming more prominent as an export market for U.S. pork, says the monthly Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook. One-third of U.S. export tonnage during July - the most recent data available for the report - went to Mexico.
CDC says 77 new cases of salmonella linked to cucumbers
An additional 77 cases of salmonella were reported in the past week in a outbreak of food-borne illness linked to cucumbers imported from Mexico, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
U.S. says COOL costs Canada and Mexico only $91 million
Canada loses only $43.2 million and Mexico $47.6 million from the U.S. law that requires packages of beef and pork to say where the meat was born, raised and slaughtered.
Canada says U.S. senators are wrong about voluntary meat labeling
Canada's agriculture minister, Gerry Ritz, said two U.S. senators are wrong to say their proposal for a voluntary country-of-origin label (COOL) for beef, pork and chicken is similar to the "Product of Canada" label available in his country.
Soda consumption in Mexico down 6 percent after tax
Mexicans reduced their purchases of sugary beverages by 6 percent following implementation of a one-peso-per-liter tax on sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda, according to a study by the Mexican National Institute of Public Health and the University of North Carolina.
As House votes, Senate ponders its COOL move
Agriculture chairman Michael Conaway hopes for a large majority vote in the House today to repeal country-of-origin labeling (COOL) on packages of beef, pork and chicken sold in grocery stores. A strong House vote for repeal would create leverage for the Senate to concur, Conaway says. A coalition of manufacturing, business and agricultural groups says it is "critical that Congress enact corrective legislation before adjourning for August recess."
Nearly 300 groups say no to COOL repeal
Ahead of the House vote on repeal of mandatory country-of-origin labels (COOL) on beef, pork and chicken sold in grocery stores, 283 labor, small-farm, environmental and religious groups published a joint letter asking lawmakers to keep the labeling law in force. "Consumers want more information about their food, not less," said the Consumer Federation of America. R-CALF USA, a cattle-ranchers group, said repeal would "reward the powerful meatpacker lobby" and be a capitulation to threats by Canada and Mexico of retaliatory tariffs.
WTO moves closer to decision on U.S. meat-labeling rules
The World Trade Organization has sent an interim report to the three North American nations - Canada, Mexico and the United States - sparring over country-of-origin-labeling rules for cuts of poultry, beef and pork, says a spokesman for the U.S. trade representative's office.
Crucial House vote near on repeal of meat-origin labeling
The House could vote as early as Wednesday on repeal of mandatory country-of-origin labels (COOL) on packages of beef, pork and chicken sold in grocery stores. Meatpackers and the largest cattle and hog groups, who opposed COOL from the start, have their best chance in years to get rid of it. The World Trade Organization has issued a final ruling against COOL as a barrier to imported meat and livestock.
Canada, Mexico ask $3.7 billion in retaliation for U.S. label law
Canada and Mexico said they will ask the WTO approval for $3.7 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural and manufactured goods in their latest response to a U.S. meat-labeling law. "The only way for the United States to avoid billions in immediate retaliation is to repeal COOL," said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz of Canada, referring to the country-of-origin labeling law. The U.S. House could vote as early as next week on a bill to repeal COOL for beef, pork and chicken, the three most widely consumed meats.
Key senator proposes voluntary origin labels for beef and pork
The United States can avoid billions of dollars in retaliatory tariffs by switching to voluntary country-of-origin labels (COOL) for beef and pork, said the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Mexico eases restrictions on U.S. poultry
A decision by Mexico to allow the import of poultry meat from states affected by avian influenza "signals the disease's threat to U.S. poultry exports is starting to subside," according to a report from Bloomberg.
Trade groups push for repeal of U.S. meat-origin labels
Two major trade groups, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, told lawmakers that repeal is the only option available in a losing battle over the so-called country of origin labeling (COOL) law. The World Trade Organization has ruled three times against COOL, which requires labels on packages of beef, chicken and pork saying where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered.
Conaway’s committee is “prepared to lead” on repeal of meat-label law
"The House Agriculture Committee is prepared to lead" for repeal of the law requiring country-of-origin labels (COOL) on packages of beef, pork and chicken if the World Trade Organization rejects a final U.S. appeal, said chairman Michael Conaway. The WTO has ruled against the mandatory labels three times and says it intends to rule by May 18 on the last appeal allowed in the case. Canada and Mexico say COOL is a trade barrier in disguise that has reduced shipments of livestock into the United States.
Deal with Mexico is cushion against sugar subsidy costs
The agreement by Mexico to limit its shipments of sugar to the U.S. market will reduce the chances of sugar program costs, says the think tank Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute.
“Rebuild a food system from the bottom up”
The eight-minute film "Man in a Maze" opens with an aerial view of fresh produce being dumped into a landfill at the Mexico-U.S. border, and ends with an aerial view of a community garden.
Lower prices, brisk sales point to record soymeal exports
Strong demand in the opening weeks of the marketing year and lower market prices are forecast to result in record exports of U.S. soybean meal, said USDA. It estimated sales of 12.8 million short tons, up 10 percent from 2013/14.
Mexico to displace China as top corn importer
China will remain the leading importer of soybeans and cotton, but Mexico will be the world's largest corn importer for the rest of this decade, said the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute. The United States would be the top corn exporter despite increased competition from Brazil, said the University of Missouri think tank in updating its international marketing baseline.