Thailand DDGs Fumigation Requirements

NAEGA has been notified by USDA APHIS of new import requirements for U.S. distillers dried grains entering Thailand beginning January 1, 2019. Beginning on January 1, the Thai Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) will require all U.S. distillers dried grains (DDG) to be fumigated with methyl bromide prior to shipment to Thailand.  APHIS will require that treatment be specified on the Federal Grain Inspection Service Insects in Grain Report 921-2 as a requirement for issuance of an export phytosanitary certificate from January 1, 2019 forward.

The MOA requirement is as follows:

From 1 January 2019, the DDGs consignments have to be fumigated with methyl bromide at 80 g/m for 48 hours at 21 °C and above at NAP ( Normal Atmospheric Pressure). The treatment schedule has to be indicated on Phytosanitary Certificate. Methyl bromide treatment certificate is required.

APHIS further indicated it will engage Thailand’s MOA officials to:

• Replace the required methyl bromide with phosphine.
• Provide for a wider treatment temperature range better approximating the labeled requirements.
• Provide for clarity on whether the treatment certificate will be needed if the required information is provided on the phytosanitary certificate.

NAEGA, working with the Grades and Inspections Committee, is making suggestions for changes to the practices of both governments and communicating worldwide to encourage best and least trade distortive practices be deployed to manage Sanitary and Phytosanitary risks for international movement of grains and oilseeds. Please contact us if you have any questions or comments.

Vietnam actions on Canada Thistle in Soybeans, Wheat and Corn imports

NAEGA continues to monitor developments related the Vietnam Plant Protection Department’s (PPD) plans to implement a re-export requirement on U.S. shipments of soybeans, corn and wheat. Currently, PPD is suspending its January 1, 2019 re-export requirement until a scheduled meeting on January 14, 2019 with USDA APHIS. In light of the U.S. Government shutdown, NAEGA is monitoring this development closely and trying to confirm that the January 14 meeting will still take place.

Trip Reports

Trip reports are now available for the following NAEGA and IGTC MAP related activities during the fall of 2018:

• IGTC Working Visit and Meetings of the Like-Minded Group of Countries in Brazil – September 2018
• IGTC ISF Meetings in Berlin – October 2018
• NAPPO Annual Meeting in Tucson – October 2018
• IGTC Working Visit to South Africa – October 2018

Annual Member Calls

Thank you to all of our members for your help and contributions in 2018! As we prepare for 2019, we are seeking your input and advice. In the coming days we will be reaching out to each member representative to set up time for a call to discuss NAEGA priorities and programming for the 2019 year, and to seek your input and ideas for how we can best serve you.

Please keep an eye out for an email from us requesting your time for a brief call.

IGTC 2019 Business Plan

The Management Council of the International Grain Trade Coalition (www.igtcglobal.org) has set forth a new 2019 Business Plan.  Importantly, the window for Corporate Stakeholder one-time investments to secure a perpetual governance role in IGTC and provide for a funding bridge to a permanent self-sustaining IGTC will close at the end of 2018.  Corporate Stakeholders are for-profit entities who have made a onetime  investment in IGTC so that it can proceed to operate from the annual dues paid by the non-profit trade associations and councils that are IGTC members. The IGTC continues to seek new Corporate Stakeholders -time is running out to secure your spot! Interested companies can contact IGTC secretariat Katy Lee or Gary who serves at IGTC President. If you would like a copy of the business plan please contact Gary. 

Notice to the Trade

Addendum 1, Clause 6 be of the NAEGA 2 Model Contract (revised March 30, 2018) is the subject of a new NAEGA Notice to Trade. The notice provides guidance on how to calculate the waiting time at the second berth if the first seller has loaded part of their cargo at the first berth. The notice clarifies that that the correct interpretation of "remaining contracts" in Addendum 1, Clause 6B, should be interpreted to read as "remaining tonnage."  The Notice is available to the public and can be found here.

RCC Comments

On Monday, November 26 NAEGA and the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) submitted joint comments to the U.S. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) regarding the joint U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council. In the comments, NAEGA and NGFA requested increased cooperation between the U.S. and Canada to reduce trade distorting non-tariff barriers, including through the promotion of rules and standards that will reduce risk and increase the predictability and certainty international trade.

A copy of the comments can be found here.

IGTC Newsletter

The latest IGTC newsletter is now available! Highlights include a recap of IGTC participation in a gene editing event in Beijing, the IGTC’s MOU with the International Grains Council, and an update on the ePhyto case studies.  

Read the full newsletter here.

Vietnam’s Canada Thistle measures

On Friday, December 14 NAEGA hosted a delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture headed by Vice-Minister Hà Công Tuấn.  Participants included the U.S. Soybean Export Council, the U.S. Grains Council and U.S. Wheat Associates.  During the meeting, Vietnamese Plant Protection Department (PPD) reported on its intentions for implementation on January 1, 2018 of a re-export requirement if Canadian thistle (Cirsium arvense) is found at import in soybean, corn and wheat.  Ultimately, the Vietnamese officials indicated they will not take action on U.S. shipments discovered to contain Canadian thistle until after planned consultations with the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on January 14, 2019.   

NAEGA is working closely with industry stakeholders and the Office of the USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs to follow up on the meeting.  We will focus on securing sound and least trade distortive practices on behalf of both PPD and APHIS to address all their respective actions.  The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture has asked that we provide additional information about the U.S. export system and mitigation efforts regarding Canadian thistle.

U.S.-China Trade Negotiations

On Saturday, December 1 the White House announced the completion of a “highly successful meeting” between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jingping. During the meeting, both leaders discussed the ongoing trade tensions between the two countries and agreed to proceed with talks to resolve bilateral issues. In exchange, the U.S. agreed to suspend plans to increase tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods from 10 to 25 percent on January 1. Instead, both parties agreed to talks to resolve the trade dispute within 90 days. In addition, China has agreed to buy a very substantial amount of agricultural, energy, industrial, and other product from the United States to reduce the trade imbalance, and U.S. administration officials stated that China has agreed to provide tariffs concessions for U.S. autos.

A copy of the White House statement on U.S.-China talks can be found here.