Mexico
Beef imports are lowest in 13 months
U.S. beef imports are declining and are forecast to be 14 percent lower in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period a year ago, say USDA economists.
White House: NAFTA will wait until Lighthizer is confirmed
President Trump made renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement a top issue during his election campaign, but he has moved slowly on it since taking office. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said the administration is waiting for Senate confirmation of Robert Lighthizer as U.S. trade representative before it starts the clock running for discussions with Canada and Mexico.
Draft points to market access as key Trump goal in NAFTA renegotiation
Building a border wall will be ‘complex in some areas,’ says Zinke
There are geographic and physical challenges to building a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico that will be "complex in some areas," Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said during a tele-conference. The Associated Press said Zinke cited the task of building the wall in Big Bend National Park and along the Rio Grande River, which forms nearly half of the border.
Hog and turkey farmers say they could suffer if NAFTA renegotiation blows up
After withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, President Trump's top trade objective is renegotiation of the 23-year-old U.S.-Canada-Mexico agreement known as NAFTA. Farm groups speaking for U.S. hog and turkey farmers told a House Agriculture subcommittee that their industries could suffer greatly if exports are disrupted.
Trump asks Congress for merit-based immigration system
President Trump called for a new, merit-based immigration system limited to people who can support themselves, saying it would raise U.S. wages and boost the U.S. economy. The National Farmers Union said Trump's outline "neglects the unique and important work that immigrant laborers provide for our nation's food system and rural economies."
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."
Never mind the threats, U.S. corn has the lowest price in Mexico
According to one of the world's largest grain traders, the biggest advantage the United States holds in the Trump administration's war of words with Mexico is this: U.S. corn is the best deal. DTN says chief executive Soren Schroeder, of Bunge Ltd., told analysts during a teleconference, "The extent to which there is any switching that takes place to South America, frankly, it all depends on price. And at the moment, it doesn't work."
Trump: Tweaks for Canada, but ‘we’re going to work with Mexico’ on NAFTA
After his first meeting with Canada's prime minister, President Trump tagged Mexico as his prime target in renegotiating the two-decade-old North American Free Trade Agreement. "We'll be tweaking it," Trump responded when asked about the impact on Canada. "It's a much less severe situation than what's taking place on the southern border."
Soda-tax proponents in Mexico become targets of spyware
A type of spyware, supposedly restricted to use by law-enforcement agencies, was found on the smartphones of three prominent proponents of the 10-percent excise tax on soda and other sugary beverages adopted by Mexico in 2014, says the New York Times. The spyware piggybacked its way onto phones with harassing messages to the men, one of whom is director of nutrition policy at Mexico's National Institute of Public Health.
Mexico heads for record corn crop for second year in a row
One of the top importers of U.S. corn, Mexico is forecast to harvest a record 26 million tonnes of the crop during the 2016/17 crop year, thanks to larger plantings and favorable rainfall, says USDA's World Agricultural Production report. The crop would exceed the mark set last season of 25.9 million tonnes.
Trump’s border tax will show up in your guacamole
If the Trump administration follows through on its threat to impose a 20 percent tax on all goods coming from Mexico, the price of certain imported foods like avocados could go up. But the tax will only be on the so-called dutiable value, which means the wholesale price of the avocado when it crosses the border, which runs around 50 cents. That means a Trump-era avocado might be around a dime more, says The New York Times.
White House suggests 20 percent tax on Mexico, top U.S. food supplier
Falling value of Mexico’s peso may impede U.S. ag exports
Mexico is the third-largest market for U.S. farm exports, so the declining value of the peso "could create a drag on U.S. animal product exports in 2017," says USDA's monthly Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook. The southern neighbor of the United States is the largest market for exports of U.S. pork, poultry, and dairy products, says USDA, as well as the No. 3 market for U.S. beef.
Negotiations with Canada and Mexico over NAFTA to begin soon, says Trump
President Donald Trump plans to meet the leaders of Canada and Mexico soon "to start renegotiating on NAFTA, on immigration and on security at the border," reported Reuters. After China, the U.S. neighbors are the top markets for U.S. farm exports, forecast to buy 29 percent of ag exports and be the source of 44 percent of U.S. agricultural imports, so farm groups want to avoid adverse effects of reworked rules.
Some say produce industry’s ‘Ethical Charter’ is rotten
A new “Ethical Charter” drawn up by two of America’s largest produce associations promises to keep workers safer and ensure humane treatment on farms. But critics say the document is a two-page example of “greenwashing,” light on details and action, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Larger ag exports to China and Mexico, countries under Trump scrutiny
Two countries that account for one-third of U.S. farm exports, China and Mexico, are the main reasons for a slightly higher forecast for ag exports this fiscal year, says USDA. Exports are now estimated at $134 billion, up $1 billion from the August estimate, with sales to China and Mexico up $300 million apiece.
Mexico loses appetite for U.S. grain after Trump win
Traders and industry analysts say campaign promises by President-elect Donald Trump to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement have spooked the cross-border grain trade as well as driving down the value of the peso, said Reuters.