ASP Cyber Security Meeting

On June 25, the U.S. Coast Guard’s Office of Port and Facility Compliance, Cargo and Facilities Division held a meeting with Alternate Security Plan (ASP) members to discuss best practices regarding cyber security. The purpose of this meeting was to set goals for cyber awareness expected from ASP users, with a specific focus on users being able to recognize suspicious behavior and know what constitutes a security breach in the cyber realm. 

The Coast Guard is encouraging industry to get ahead of the curve by addressing cyber security before small issues develop into larger problems. 

Interested in participating in the NAEGA-NGFA Alternative Security Program? Contact Ryan.  

IGTC Newsletter

The latest IGTC newsletter is now available! This edition covers ongoing IGTC communications about the IPPC’s ePhyto hub, a call for input on the IPPC draft ISPM and specifications on grain, and a report on the WTO SPS committee’s proposal on MRLs. 

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

IGTC-ISF Meeting

Randy Gordon, NGFA President and acting as a NAEGA volunteer, is back from Nyon, Switzerland where he joined an IGTC team for bilateral meetings with the International Seed Federation. A trip report for this travel is now available here. The meeting was the second meeting conducted between IGTC and ISF to discuss the information needs of the global grain industry concerning the commercialization of crops developed through genetic engineering. During discussions the IGTC and ISF engaged in detailed, substantive discussions on specific information needed from gene-editing seed developers and those commercializing such seeds to preserve the fungible, commingled commodity stream and to avoid trade disruptions. 

U.S. FGIS to change falling number calculation

Last week, NAEGA joined the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and the North American Millers Association (NAMA) in a letter to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The letter follows an AMS request for feedback regarding improvements to the Falling Number (FN) test for wheat.

FGIS will be adopting a mathematical correction to its FN test designed to provide an indication of the amount of sprout damage that has occurred within a specific wheat sample.

In the letter, NAEGA, NGFA, and NAMA support further review and testing of the proposed change and its eventual implementation in 2019 in order to avoid any disruptions in crop marketing.

The full letter can be found here.

IGTC Newsletter

The latest IGTC newsletter is now available! This edition covers IGTC’s recent Strategy Session in London, the IGTC-led workshop at the International Grains Council’s annual conference, and a call for IGTC members and corporate stakeholders to encourage their governments to become more involved with the ePhyto Hub.

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

IGTC and IGC in London

Last week Gary joined IGTC Secretariat Katy Lee in London for a series meetings and events surrounding the International Grains Council’s (IGC) International Grains Conference. While in London the IGTC hosted a Strategy Session for members and corporate stakeholders and a Management Council meeting. In addition, the IGTC sponsored a (IGC) workshop on the Improvement of Trade and Investment in the Grain Trade. A trip report for this mission will be available soon. 

IPPC Trip Report

A trip report is now available for IGTC Secretariat Katy Lee’s travel to Rome, Italy to attend the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) 13^th Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM). During this mission Katy received an updated on the status of the draft International Standard on Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) for grain has been assigned a “pending” status by the CPM until at least April 2019, and participated in discussion surrounding the IPPC’s ePhyto Solution, which is now entering its pilot phase.

A copy of Katy’s trip report can be found here.

Update on China Soybean Phytosanitary Requirements

NAEGA is continuing its work to address phytosanitary certification requirements and other non-tariff trade barriers, like issuance of bio-safety certs. for U.S. soybeans and other grains and oilseeds imported into China.  

We have completed some new work with respect to the U.S. APHIS imposed requirements for an additional declaration (AD) on China soybean phytos for shipments with over 1 percent foreign material (FM). Please find a NAEGA commissioned report from Informa Economics analyzing the factors impacting China soy imports from the U.S. here. We are awaiting a price analysis from the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and are conducting analysis related to competitor national grading and testing practices.

In a meeting on Monday, June 11 the Informa report was shared with the USDA’s Chief Economist Robert Johansson and Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) staff. OCE recognized that economic impact in the first quarter of 2018 from the phyto AD exceeded $100 million USD and therefore the negative impact exceeds OCE’s threshold for analysis. It is expected that they will begin further analysis of the report this week. Overall, the U.S. government apparatus and capacity to deal with China and other trade matters is overwhelmed with current circumstances.

Moving forward, one strategy we are working which is articulated in a Concept Paper for U.S. Public-Private Partnership to provide for market access for agricultural products and commodities covered by China’s Decree 177, aims to create agreements (e.g., protocols or memoranda of understanding) that provide for market access for agricultural commodities and products addressed by Decree 177, starting with U.S. soybean exports. A copy of the concept paper can be found here.

ASP Workshop

On May 30, Ryan attended the U.S. Coast Guard’s annual Alternative Security Program (ASP) Workshop at the American Chemistry Council in Washington, D.C. NAEGA, along with the National Grain and Feed Association, administers an ASP for facilities covered under the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA). The ASP provides an alternative way for facilities to comply with the MTSA. All NAEGA members are open to join the ASP.

This year’s workshop included presentations by U.S. government personnel on compliance with MTSA, including information on the planned technology enhancements to the TWIC card, roles and responsibilities of Area Maritime Security Committees, cyber risk management, and new compliance standards for Alternative Security Plan users.

Please contact Ryan if you would like more information on the Workshop or are interested in participating in the NAEGA-NGFA ASP.

IGTC Newsletter

The latest IGTC newsletter is now available! This week’s newsletter features a summary of the annual OECD Forum, a notice that the IGTC’s survey on MRLs will be published soon, and an update on the progress of the ePhyto efforts to establish an electronic phytosanitary certificate. Read the full newsletter here.