WTO
In absence of federal law, states take up country of origin labeling
Several states are considering country of origin labeling (COOL) proposals, which would require that beef products be labeled as imported or domestic products. The state proposals follow several years of attempts by rancher groups to revive federal law that would require country of origin labeling for beef.
New cotton subsidies in 2018 farm bill could be costly, says think tank
Cotton growers are pushing for the second overhaul of USDA subsidies in four years and the results could be expensive to taxpayers and risk another trade complaint at the WTO, says the free-market American Enterprise Institute. Congress totally re-wrote the cotton program in the 2014 farm bill to resolve a WTO ruling, sought by Brazil, that over-generous U.S. subsidies distorted world trade.
U.S. complaint about Chinese ag tariffs goes to WTO panel
The United States forced the creation of a WTO dispute panel to hear its complaint that China unfairly blocks imports of U.S. corn, wheat and rice, reported Reuters. When it filed the complaint last Dec. 15, the Obama administration said U.S. farmers lost as much as $3.5 billion in sales because China, the largest customer for U.S. ag exports, used so-called tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) to favor domestic producers.
U.S. ranchers sue to bring back country-of-origin labeling of beef and pork
In late 2015, looking to avoid a threatened $1 billion in retaliatory tariffs, Congress repealed a requirement that packages of beef and pork sold in the United States say where the animals were born, raised, and slaughtered. Now an activist ranchers’ group has filed suit to reinstate the labels.
Will Trump’s America First policy make COOL great again?
Under the threat of $1 billion in retaliatory tariffs by Canada and Mexico, Congress repealed a law 16 months ago that required packages of beef and and pork to say where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered. Activist agricultural groups say a revival of the labels would be a complement to President Trump's America First policy and his complaint of unfair practices by U.S. neighbors.
US wins WTO case over Indonesian limits on food imports
A WTO dispute panel agreed with the United States and New Zealand on all 18 points of their challenge of Indonesian trade barriers to imports of fruit, vegetables and meat. The U.S. trade representative's (USTR) office said removal of the barriers could lead to a vast increase in sales of the goods affected by the licensing rules, which totaled $87 million in 2015.
U.S. files second WTO complaint against China grain aid
U.S. farmers lost as much as $3.5 billion in corn, wheat and rice sales to China last year because the world's most populous nation used its tariff system to unfairly limit imports, the Obama administration said in a complaint to the World Trade Organization. Separately, the U.S. asked WTO to appoint a dispute panel to investigate its complaint of excessive Chinese subsidies of corn, wheat and rice.
U.S. accuses China, its biggest ag customer, of unfair farm subsidies
China is the largest buyer of U.S. farm exports and also the target of 14 of 23 world trade complaints filed by the Obama administration. In a new case, the United States accuses China of paying unfairly large subsides to corn, wheat and rice growers, distorting the world market and hurting U.S. farmers.
U.S. removes Vietnamese company from anti-dumping duties for shrimp
In a step that settled two WTO disputes brought by Vietnam, the United States rescinded anti-dumping duties against the Minh Phu Group for its shipments of frozen shrimp. The Commerce Department said anti-dumping duties will remain in place for all other exporters of warm-water shrimp from Vietnam.
U.S. turns to WTO when India keeps poultry market closed
A year ago, the United States won a WTO decision against India for its ban on imports of U.S. poultry meat. And now the U.S. is back in Geneva, asking for trade compensation because India has complied with the WTO decision, said Reuters.
Agricultural trade is best-performing sector in new WTO trade indicator
The new World Trade Outlook Indicator (WTOI) will "provide 'real time' information on trends in global trade," said its parent agency, the World Trade Organization. Launched ahead of the meeting of G-20 trade ministers in Shanghai over the weekend, the indicator showed trade in raw agricultural products was growing faster than expected while overall, global trade would continue to be sluggish in July and August.
U.S. says China still violating trade in chicken
The winner in 2013 of a challenge against China over chicken products, the United States is going back to the WTO to force China to remove antidumping and countervailing duties.
Turkey imposes anti-dumping duties on U.S. cotton
The National Cotton Council said it will try to reverse Turkey's decision to assess anti-dumping duties on U.S. cotton, including steps such as a WTO complaint and a lawsuit.
Obama cites COOL repeal in meeting Trudeau
In the first official visit by a Canadian prime minister in 19 years, President Obama said repeal of country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for pork and beef "bring the United States into compliance with its international trade obligations."
Cottonseed subsidy may require congressional action
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he wants to help cotton growers deal with the lowest market prices in seven years, but "there are some serious legal issues involved" in the cotton industry's request for subsidy payments on cottonseed.
WTO members agree to eliminate ag export subsidies
In a meeting that ran a day longer than scheduled, trade ministers of WTO nations agreed to phase out export subsidies for agricultural goods. The commitment would apply at once to industrialized countries, and only a handful of products would be excluded.
Canada to U.S. – ‘Get the job done – repeal COOL’
Mexico and Canada objected to U.S. meat-origin labels since they became mandatory under the 2008 farm law, eventually winning a final WTO decision over the United States on May 18. The omnibus funding bill awaiting a vote in Congress would end the labeling system for beef, pork, ground beef and ground pork in order to avoid up to $1.01 billion in retaliatory tariffs.
After WTO ruling, U.S. lawmakers gallop to repeal COOL
Congress may vote this week to repeal the U.S. law that requires packages of meat to say where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered. The drive for repeal, at a standstill in the Senate since summer, was spurred into action after the WTO said Canada and Mexico could impose $1.01 billion a year in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. manufactured and agricultural goods, from mattresses, office furniture and pipes to wine, meat and grain.