News

Italy COOL Developments

The Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry policies has issued a decree ordering new country of origin labeling policies for all packets of rice and pasta sold in Italy. The new packaging must reveal where the wheat contained in the food was grown and milled into semolina for pasta-making. Rice packaging will have to state where the rice was grown, treated and packaged.

More information on the new decree can be found here and here.

IGTC Newsletter

The latest IGTC newsletter is now available! This week’s newsletter includes an update on the IGTC’s work on the IPPC’s ISPM for grain, an invitation to a Codex Commission event in Geneva, and an update on IGTC work at the World Trade Organization on e-certifications.  

For more details, read the IGTC Newsletter here or visit the IGTC website at www.igtcglobal.org.

U.S. Food and Ag Dialogue Comments

On Monday, July 31 the North American and Asia-Pacific Working Groups of the U.S. Food and Agriculture Dialogue for Trade submitted comments to the U.S. Trade Representatives (USTR) regarding the Administration’s reviews and report to the president on trade agreement violations and abuses. The comments highlighted the success of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in promoting trade and expanding opportunities for the U.S. food and agriculture industry. The comments also requested that the Administration consider pursuing additional free trade agreements in overseas markets, particularly the Asia-Pacific Region, to maintain U.S. industry’s competitiveness on the global stage.

A copy of the comments can be found here.

USTR Comments

This week, NAEGA and the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) submitted comments to the U.S. Trade Representatives (USTR) regarding the Administration’s reviews and report to the president on trade agreement violations and abuses. The comments outline the performance of U.S. free trade agreement on the grain and feed trade and the performance of WTO agreements on multilateral trading arrangements. In the comments, NAEGA and NGFA highlight the overwhelming success of free trade agreements in promoting trade and opening up markets for grain and feed trade products. The comments also list some on-going tariff and non-tariff barrier challenges industry currently faces with trade agreement partners and WTO partners with which the U.S. has a significant trade deficit.

A copy of the comments can be found here.

London IGC and IGTC Trip Report

A trip report is now available for Gary, Katy and Marcel’s travel to London, United Kingdom to  participate in a number of activities that support NAEGA UES programming and the IGTC business plan. In London, Gary, Katy and Marcel participated and hosted:

  • IGTC Strategy Session
  • IGTC Management Council Meeting
  • 2017 International Grains Council (IGC) Grains Conference
  • GAFTA Annual Dinner.

 The primary purpose of this mission to London was implementation of the IGTC Business Plan through the enhancement of IGTC Policy Teams, Working Groups and operations, engagement and information exchange with IGTC members and corporate stakeholders and new member recruitment. 

A copy of the trip report can be found here

McKinney and Censky Letters

This week, NAEGA joined two letters supporting the confirmation of Steve Censky as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Ted McKinney as Under Secretary of Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The first letter, to members of the U.S. Senate, applauds President Trump’s nomination of Mr. Censky and calls for his prompt confirmation. The second letter to Senators Pat Roberts and Debbie Stabenow, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, call for the expeditious confirmation of Mr. McKinney by the committee and the Senate

A copy of the letters can be found here(Censky) and here(McKinney).

Mexico NAFTA Comments

On Tuesday, July 26 NAEGA submitted comments to the Government of Mexico following a request for consultations by the Secretaria de Economia on negotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAEGA’s comments laid out negotiating priorities, including:

  • Maintaining all market access and tariff concessions.
  • Creating a Rapid Response Mechanism.
  • Enhancing science based SPS rules.
  • Adopting risk management and risk assessment procedures that prevent the use of non-tariff barriers that lack scientific merit.
  • Promoting regulatory consistency and cooperation provisions.
  • Strengthening efforts to address TBT matters.
  • Increasing transparency and cooperation on modern agricultural production technologies.
  • Enabling the innovation of information technologies that improve logistics and regulatory implementation to facilitate trade.
  • Ensuring safe, orderly and secure passage for rail and truck freight transportation with member countries.

A copy of the comments can be found here.

NAFTA Negotiations Set

U.S., Canadian and Mexican negotiators have announced that the first round of negotiations for the modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement will begin on August 16-20 in Washington, D.C. The negotiations will begin on the first day allowed in the U.S. Trade Promotion Authority legislation. The U.S. Trade Representative has named John Melle, the current U.S. assistant trade representative for the Western Hemisphere, as the Chief Negotiator.

More information can be found here.

PNWER Summit

On Monday, July 24 Gary presented before a two panels at the 2017 Pacific Northwest Economic Region’s (PNWER) Annual Summit in Portland, OR on the Economic Impact of Trade in the Agriculture Sector and at a Rountable on Border and Trade. During the Economic Impact of Trade in the Agriculture Sector Gary was joined by Alexis Taylor, Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Frederic Seppey, Chief Trade Negotiator of Agrifoods Canada. During this presentation, Gary discussed the great success that trade has been for the North American grain and feed sector and the importance of the North American Free Trade Agreement in promoting trade in the Pacific Northwest region. In addition, Gary laid out NAEGA negotiating objectives for the upcoming NAFTA negotiations.

A copy of Gary’s presentation can be found here.

NAEGA-APPAMEX Forum Trip Report

A trip report is now available for Gary’s travel to Cancun, Mexico to participate in and present before the 24th Annual NAEGA-APPAMEX Forum. In Cancun, Gary presented before the forum on Agri-Bulks Trade Repositioning for the Agri-Food Industry in Mexico; hosted a private, off-the-record breakfast with USDA FAS, the Canadian Embassy and the Government of Mexico to discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); and briefed the APPAMEX Board of Directors on NAFTA negotiations and objectives. The dialogue and networking effectively resulted in expanded good will and continued interest in placing a priority U.S. agricultural exports to serve Mexico’s needs. 

A copy of the trip report can be found here.