Hanjin Bankruptcy Letter

On September 20, 2016 NAEGA joined a multi-industry letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker from organizations representing manufacturers, farmers and agribusiness wholesalers, retailers, importers, exporters, distributors and transportation and logistics providers regarding the recent decision by the Hanjin Shipping Company to seek bankruptcy protection. The recent bankruptcy filing by Hanjin Shipping has already begun to disrupt supply chains and freight shipments leading up to the busiest shipping time of the year. U.S. industry relies on a high level of predictability and efficiency in global supply chains. Seizure of Hanjin assets and shipper’s goods by Hanjin creditors is increasing anxiety among those that rely on these supply chains. In addition, critical cargoes remain stranded overseas as freight prices continue to rise. This letter to Secretary Pritzker calls for continued engagement with the South Korean government regarding these events in order to secure an economically beneficial resolution that will allow cargo to once again flow efficiently through the supply chain.

A copy of the letter can be found here. For more information, please contact Gary or Ryan.

Decree 177 Letter

The USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service has finalized the drafting of a letter and list of U.S. grain export facilities for submission to AQSIQ officials regarding U.S. industry compliance with Decree 177. The letter and facility list was drafted in close coordination with U.S. government agencies and industry through the Decree 177 Working Group, of which NAEGA is a member. The list of U.S. export grain facilities is the U.S. Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration’s (GIPSA) publicly available list of grain export facilities compiled by GIPSA on a yearly basis. Registration on this list is required by U.S. law for all U.S. export grain facilities that export more than 15,000 metric tons of grain per year.

In addition to the submission of this list, FAS has requested consultations with AQSIQ by a team of U.S. experts on the grain trade, including the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), GIPSA, FAS and U.S. grain industry representatives. Opening up of this dialog will further understanding of the requirements of Decree 177 on the U.S. grain export system.

Submission of the facility list and request for consultations with AQSIQ are the first steps in broadening industry and U.S. government’s understanding AQSIQ’s requirements under Decree 177 in order to ensure U.S. industry compliance.

A copy of the letter and facility list can be found here and here. For more information about Decree 177 and the efforts of the working group please visit the members only section of the NAEGA website, www.naega.org, or contact Gary or Ryan.

NAEGA-APPAMEX Forum

NAEGA Director of Operations Ryan Olson and IGTC Acting Secretariat Katy Lee traveled to Cancun, Mexico on October 5-8 to present before and participate in the 23rd Annual NAEGA-APPAMEX at the Iberostar Hotel. At the forum Ryan and Katy hosted a, Exclusive Section on Bulk Grain Trade Issues, including an “Update on Commercial and Official Policies and Practices.” During the Exclusive Section Ryan presented before Forum attendees on “The Trans-Pacific Partnership, Regulatory Coherence and Transparency.” Following Ryan’s presentation, Katy briefed the Forum on IGTC policy files and activities, including electronic documentation, the World Bank’s Enabling the Business of Agriculture Project, plant breeding technologies, and recent IPPC ISPM for grain negotiations. In addition to these presentations, Ryan and Katy heard and gathered information on a number of multilateral and bilateral trade issues facing the North American and global marketplaces, including an update from SENASICA on soil inspections and a speech by SAGARPA Secretary José Eduardo Calzada.

On Friday, October 7, to close out the forum, NAEGA also sponsored the Joint National Encounter of Pork Producers and NAEGA-APPAMEX Forum Grand Closing Dinner, which featured over 350 attendees.

A copy of the agenda for the NAEGA-APPAMEX Forum can be found here. A trip report for this MAP travel will soon be available. For more information, please contact Ryan or Katy.

IGTC Secretariat Visit to Washington, D.C.

IGTC Acting Secretariat Katy Lee was in Washington, D.C. this week for a series of meetings and briefings ahead of her travel the NAEGA-APPAMEX Forum. During her visit in Katy led discussions and meetings with D.C. based IGTC members and corporate stakeholders. In addition, Katy continued to advance IGTC policy files through meeting with D.C. based institutions. During her stay, Katy’s agenda included:

• IGTC Member and Corporate Stakeholder briefing for D.C. staff
• Meeting with Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Director-General Dr. Victor Villalobos.
• Meeting with the World Bank regarding continued IGTC participation in the “Enabling the Business of Agriculture” report.
• Meeting with the East African Grains Council on IGTC activities.

A trip report for these meeting and continued travel and participation by Katy in the NAEGA-APPAMEX Forum will be available soon. For more information, please contact Katy at secretariat@igtcglobal.org.

Joint Statement to GIPSA

On September 23 the Joint NAEGA-NGFA Grades and Inspections/Grains, Grades and Weights Committee submitted a joint statement to the Grain Inspectors, Packers and Stockyards Association regarding the delegated state status of the State of Wisconsin. States delegated by (GIPSA) to preform weighing and inspection services are required to meet certain criteria including maintaining adequate facilities and qualified personnel; rotating personnel; implementing training requirements and diligently using of user fees. In addition, these requirements are to be reviewed through a notice-and-comment review every five years. The joint statement confirms NAEGA and NGFA’s belief that the State of Wisconsin is meeting its obligation to remain a delegated state under GIPSA rules.

A copy of the letter can be found here. For more information, please contact Ryan or Gary.

IGTC Newsletter

The newest edition of the IGTC Newsletter is now available! This week’s newsletter includes an update on IGTC participation in the IPPC ISPM Expert Working Group in Melbourne, information on the ongoing ratification of the Nagoya Protocol and an invitation to learn more about the IGTC General Assembly in Geneva on November 8. A copy of the newsletter can be found on the IGTC intranet at www.igtcglobal.org or by clicking here.