The latest IGTC newsletter is now available! Highlights include presentations from grain trade experts at the International Plant Protection Convention’s (IPPC) regional workshop on ePhytos for Latin America and the Caribbean, an update on government involvement on the IPPC’s ePhyto Hub, and preparations for the COP-MOP 9 meeting in Egypt later this year.
Read the full newsletter here.
Ryan is back from the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) fifth meeting of the Sub-committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC) meetings. The CCC deals with the carriage of packaged dangerous goods, solid bulk cargoes, bulk gas cargoes, and containers. Ryan participated in the IMO CCC 5 as a member of the International Dry Bulk Terminal Association delegation (IBTA) and closely monitored the international efforts related to the regulation of the bulk grain trade. NAEGA priorities at CCC5 included efforts to modify the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) schedules for seed cakes, monitoring if initiatives to revise classifications and efforts to update IMSBC to incorporate MARPOL Annex V provisions.
A trip report for this mission will be available in the coming weeks.
On August 30, NAEGA President and CEO Gary Martin co-chaired a meeting of the U.S. Food and Agriculture Dialogue for Trade at the American Farm Bureau Federation. During the meeting, the Dialogue welcomed USDA Chief of Staff Ray Starling to discuss the Administration’s positions on trade, its efforts to expand U.S. market access for agriculture goods, the status of trade agreement talks with various nations, and details of the USDA’s recent trade mitigation package. The Dialogue also heard updates from the chairs of the Asia-Pacific and North American Market Working Groups and discussed plans for future meetings.
Ryan is back from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where he attended at presented at the 2018 NAEGA-APPAMEX Forum . The topic of this year’s forum was “The Agri-food Supply Chains after New Global and National Horizons.” Speakers and attendees included the new Undersecretary-elect of SAGARPA Dr. Miguel Garcia Winder, representatives from the Secretariat of the Economy, and officials from the Embassies of Canada and the United States. During the meeting, Ryan represented NAEGA and the IGTC and spoke about The multilateral regulatory framework applied on agricultural commodities and the non-tariff trade barriers and Possible scenarios of the world economic regions on their insertions into the global agricultural commodities trade. Ryan’s presentations can be found here and here.
An agenda for the Forum can be found here. A trip report will be available in the coming weeks.
A trip report is now available for Katy and Gary’s recent mission to Geneva and Rome to meet with IGTC member and corporate stakeholder and attend the IPPC’s ePhyto IAG. In Geneva, Gary and Katy held a series of bilateral meetings with IGTC corporate stakeholders and international organizations. Following their planned meetings in Geneva, Mr. Martin and Ms. Lee travelled to Rome to participate in a meeting with the International Plant Protection Convention’s (IPPC) ePhyto Industry Advisory Group (IAG). While in Rome, Mr. Martin also meet with Bryce Quick (FAS) and colleagues at the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies to discuss current trade and agricultural policy developments.
Read the full rip report here.
On August 15, NAEGA joined 28 other food and agricultural organizations in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer regarding the potential for a seasonal produce provision in an upcoming NAFTA deal. The provision would allow the U.S. to place seasonal tariffs on various fruits and vegetables by redefining domestic industry. In the letter, the undersigned organizations reiterated their opposition to the inclusion of the seasonal produce provision, which would not only impede trade in U.S. produce, but create the risk of retaliatory action against a broad swath of U.S. agricultural products. In particular, once established, this new rule will make it easier for Mexico and Canada to impose anti-dumping duties on imports of produce from the United States and undermine support for the agreement from producers in Canadian and Mexican markets.
Read a copy of the letter here.
On Tuesday, August 14 NAEGA held a successful Contracts and Best Practices Seminar in Minneapolis, MN. Attended by over 15 participants from member companies, the seminar featured a broad review of NAEGA 2 Model Contracting terms, the recent revisions to the contract, exercises on laytime and a review of the global contracting environment.
Interesting in attending at contracts seminar or hosting a private seminar for your company? Contact Ryan.
A trip report is now available for Gary and Katy’s mission to London for meetings with IGTC members and corporate stakeholders and to attend the IGC Grains Conference.
In London, Gary and Katy led and executed IGTC meetings with 26 global grain trade leaders, governments and international institutions. The overarching objective was to achieve a market and regulatory environment supportive of trade that avoids disruptions in the international trade of grain, oilseeds, pulses and derived products. Specific activities to support UES objectives for GRNOS included:
A copy of the trip report can be found here.
On Friday, August 17 Gary and Ryan presented before a group of 25 U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) locally employed staff. Locally employed staff are foreign nationals who assist FAS employees in executing their missions around the world. During the presentation, Gary and Ryan described NAEGA mission, goals and the successful cooperative relationship enjoyed between NAEGA and USDA FAS.
A copy of their presentation is available here.
Katy is back from Paris, France where she attended the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Annual Forum and Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) General Assembly. These events included reports from several BIAC policy groups such as the digital economy committee, the findings of the BIAC Economic Policy Survey, and G20 and G7 related activities. The IGTC is currently conducting a cost-benefit analysis of joining the OECD.
Read the full trip report here.
North American Export Grain Association
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Arlington, VA 22202
Telephone: 202-682-4030
Fax: 202-682-4033
Email: info@naega.org
