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IGTC Newsletter

The latest IGTC Newsletter is now available. Read reports of recent IGTC activity around the world, including Honduras, India, and Panama. Most recently, Cargill VP Randy Giroux represented IGTC at a Government of Honduras event on the challenges for the agri-food sector 2017-2025. In mid-February, IGTC Secretariat Katy Lee traveled to Delhi, India for the Global Grain, Food and Feed (G2F2) event. The newsletter also includes a call for new participants in the IGTC Policy Teams and Working Groups on issues including plant production methods, phytosanitary control and risk management and trade technology among others.
A copy of the IGTC Newsletter can be found here.

Vietnam Fumigation

NAEGA continues to closely monitor developments regarding recently implemented fumigation and import requirements for U.S. origin corn, wheat and DDGs into Vietnam. U.S. origin DDGs continue to be banned from import into Vietnam due to the presence of quarantine pests. In addition, Vietnam PPD continues to require methyl bromide fumigation for all U.S. imports of wheat and corn in both bulk and containers. The U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently returned from February 7 bilateral meetings with Vietnam PPD to resolve this suspension and import requirements. APHIS is now pursuing a dual track approach for both DDGs and wheat and corn. For DDGs, APHIS agreed to develop and present to PPD a new technical package for fumigation of DDGs in containers by the end of February 2017. This technical package will be similar to the pilot program. Once the technical program is submitted and accepted by PPD, PPD will conduct a verification visit to the U.S. by August 2017. Once the verification visit is conducted and PPD confirms implementation of the technical program the suspension will be lifted.

For wheat and corn, methyl bromide fumigation requirements for bulk and containerized wheat and corn remain in place, but a target date for lifting the requirement has been set with PPD at May 2017. To meet this deadline, APHIS will develop measures to ensure pests do not arrive in Vietnam. PPD has indicated that it will leave specific treatment methods up to APHIS. APHIS has confirmed that the new measures to be developed will include the recirculation method of fumigation as laid out in the FGIS handbook. If the measures are accepted by PPD, then import permits beginning May 1, 2017 will not list methyl bromide fumigation as a requirement. For containers, wheat and corn fumigation measures will be dependent, and follow, fumigation measures currently being pursued for containerized DDGs.

EU Country of Origin Labeling Member State Initiatives

The USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) has published a report to provide an overview of the EU’s rules on Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), including the process for introducing national COOL requirements. A provision in the EU’s Food Information to Consumers regulation allows member states to enact national-level COOL measures, which has resulted in eight member states defining their own labeling requirements. The FAS report includes pertinent information on new member state COOL initiatives, industry reactions and an analysis of the potential impact on U.S. exporters.

 

The full EU Country of Origin Labeling – Member State Initiatives report is available here.

NAFTA and China Policy Teams

NAEGA staff are recruiting member personnel to participate in policy teams focused on the North American Free Trade Agreement and China. The Board of Directors requested the creation of these policy teams during the January 31 Board meeting in Miami, Florida. Policy teams will monitor unfolding trade policy changes related to the U.S. government transition, including:

  • NAFTA Policy Team: Work with NAEGA staff to monitor a potential renegotiation of NAFTA. Develop policy requests for a revised NAFTA agreement and communicate with U.S., Canadian and Mexican government officials the value of an efficient open North American marketplace.
  • China Policy Team: Work with NAEGA staff to monitor U.S. government trade relations with China. Topics include advising and communicating NAEGA positions on Decree 177, production technologies and U.S. trade policy developments.

Please contact Ryan if you have any questions or are interested in participating in these policy teams.

COP-MOP 8

On November 30-December 17, 2016 Katy Lee, Secretariat of the International Grain Trade Coalition (IGTC) traveled to Washington, D.C. and Cancun, Mexico. In Washington, D.C. Katy met and discussed IGTC policy files with Washington based IGTC members, stakeholders and contacts. Following her meetings in Washington, Katy traveled on to Cancun to lead the IGTC delegation to the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP-MOP 8 on the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol (CBP)). In Cancun, Katy and the rest of the IGTC team represented IGTC policy on the CBP, including grain trade interests in the transboundary movement of living modified organisms. A copy of the COP-MOP 8 ministerial declaration can be found here. A trip report for this travel is now available and can be found here.

NAFTA and China Policy Teams

NAEGA staff are recruiting member personnel to participate in policy teams focused on the North American Free Trade Agreement and China. The Board of Directors requested the creation of these policy teams during the January 31 Board meeting in Miami, Florida. Policy teams will monitor unfolding trade policy changes related to the U.S. government transition, including:

 

  • NAFTA Policy Team: Work with NAEGA staff to monitor a potential renegotiation of NAFTA. Develop policy requests for a revised NAFTA agreement and communicate with U.S., Canadian and Mexican government officials the value of an efficient open North American marketplace.
  • China Policy Team: Work with NAEGA staff to monitor U.S. government trade relations with China. Topics include advising and communicating NAEGA positions on Decree 177, production technologies and U.S. trade policy developments.

 

Please contact Ryan if you have any questions or are interested in participating in these policy teams.

Indian Regulatory Compliance FAQs

On January 23, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions covering information related to regulatory compliance issues. The 22-page document covers topics related to the FSS act of 2006, legislation that established rules and regulations made thereunder by the FBO’s. Issues include enforcement, licensing categories and information, penalties, and IEC code importation, among others.
The full FAQ document is available here or on the FSSAI website here.

U.S. Food and Agriculture Dialogue

On February 9 NAEGA President and CEO Gary Martin, along with North American Meat Institute (NAMI) Vice-President Bill Westman and Cassandra Kuball of the Corn Refiners Association (CRA), led a meeting of the U.S. Food and Agriculture Dialogue for Trade. The Dialogue is an off the record broad based open forum that convenes as needed to discuss U.S. agriculture's interests in trade. This week, the Dialogue hosted Ken Smith Ramos of the Mexican Embassy and Mike Hawkins and Brad Wood of the Canadian Embassy to discuss trilateral trade in North American and the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement. In addition, the Dialogue discussed recent letters sent to the Trump Administration on trade in North American and the Asia-Pacific and agreed to continue to engage with the Administration on trade issues in the future, including on upcoming March discussions on trade between the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Pacific Alliance in Chile.

Trudeau Visits Washington

On February 13, 2017 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to Washington, D.C. for his first meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. During the meeting both men discussed bilateral issues including border security, trade, energy and the environment, and global security. During the talks, both leaders confirmed the two countries commitments to the existing strong foundation for trade and investment and committed to further deepening the relationship.
A copy of the joint issued by the President and the Prime Minister is available here.

Abe Visits Washington

On February 10-11, 2017 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Washington, DC and Mar-a-Lago, Florida for his first bilateral summit with President Donald Trump. During the summit, Mr. Trump and Mr. Abe discussed the Japanese and U.S. bilateral relationship, including trade, investment and security ties. A copy of the President and Prime Minister joint statement following their summit can be found here.