News

Contract Seminar and Reception in Tokyo

Over 45 attendees from the Japanese grain and oilseed industry made for a very successful contract seminar on November 28 at the Tokai University Club in Tokyo. Participants in the seminar, which was led by NAEGA President and CEO Gary Martin, Senior Adviser Sam Bonilla, and Director of Operations Ryan Olson, reviewed international grain trade contracts and took a close look at the NAEGA II FOB contract. In addition, Ryan presented on the proposed changes NAEGA is considering to the NAEGA 2 contract and Sam led attendees through case studies on laytime commencing.

Following the seminar NAEGA welcomed approximately 70 guests to a reception at the Tokai University Club to celebrate the Japanese grain and oilseed industry. The reception was opened with remarks from Gary, followed by speeches from the U.S. Embassy’s Senior Agricultural Attaché, the head of the Grain Operations Division at the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Japanese Feed Trade Association (JFTA). A copy of Gary’s remarks can be found here.

To learn more about NAEGA activities in Tokyo, or to learn about how NAEGA can host a personalized, innovative contracts and best practices seminar for your company, please contact Gary or Ryan.

Canada – U.S. RCC Request for Stakeholder Comments

NAEGA is seeking member input on the Government of Canada's call for suggestions for regulatory cooperation that supports participation in the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC). Canadians, businesses, and stakeholders have been encouraged to submit suggestions for regulatory reconciliation and cooperation items for federal consideration.

Suggestions for regulatory reconciliation should focus on existing federal regulations that act as a barrier to trade, investment, or labor mobility between Canada and the U.S. Suggestions for regulatory cooperation should highlight areas where governments could cooperate in the development of future regulations, in order to facilitate innovation, competition, and growth in emerging industries, technologies and sectors.

If you are interested in contributing to NAEGA comments on the RCC please contact Gary or Ryan. Comments are due by January 8, 2018.

Glyphosate Approval

On November 27 the European Union’s Committee for Plants, Animals, Food and Feed Health voted to extend Glyphosate authorization for an abbreviated period of five years. The vote came with a split between France and Germany, as President Macron announced that he would ask government officials to devise a plan to ban the herbicide in France within three years. The vote of approval came less than three weeks before Glyphosate’s current license expired.

The final vote tally included 18 in favor of extended authorization, 9 against, and one abstention.

Ag Economy Letter to Sec Ross

U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) led a bipartisan letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross asking the administration to conduct a robust economic analysis to evaluate how any changes to NAFTA would affect changes to the nation’s crop and livestock sectors.

The letter noted that “it is imperative that before any changes are made to NAFTA, or any other free trade agreement, that economic analysis that illustrates the impact on the full supply chain of the industries involved be shared. As such, we request an economic analysis that examines and evaluates the impacts to crop and livestock sectors as a result of any change to NAFTA.”

You can read the full letter here.