U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Terry Branstad will retire from his position as U.S. envoy and depart Beijing in early October. During his tenure as ambassador, which began in June 2017, the former Iowa governor traveled to 26 provinces and autonomous regions in China, and would have visited all of them if COVID-19 had not limited his …
International Trade Issues at #BeefMeet Summer Meeting
The 2020 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting is taking place in Denver, CO. Committees will be meeting to provide direction for the organizations that participate which include the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board, American National CattleWomen, Inc. and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. We have created a virtual ag newsroom on AgNewsWire to provide a resource …
USMCA Implementation Celebration Roundtable
To celebrate the July 1 implementation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst held a virtual roundtable Tuesday to discuss the importance of USMCA to farmers, rural communities and ag exports. The roundtable was hosted by Farmers for Free Trade, which showed support for USMCA with an 11 state, 4,300 mile …
ASA Focused on Trade
The American Soybean Association (ASA) is one of the groups who holds its annual meeting during the Commodity Classic each year. It’s an opportunity to set goals and work through the resolution process for the year ahead, according to Minnesota farmer Bill Gordon, who currently serves as the organization’s president. Gordon said the association’s number one priority right now is …
Northern Commodity Transportation Conference to Debut
The inaugural Northern Commodity Transportation Conference (NCTC) is being held March 11-12 in Bloomington, Minn. The conference is being organized by Ag Management Solutions (AMS), in conjunction with commodity groups from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, and is focused on uniting the commodity transportation industry to discuss trade and transportation issues and challenges. Transportation and non-tariff barrier topics such …
USDA’s McKinney Optimistic About Ethanol Exports
USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney says he will leave “no stone unturned” in his quest to increase U.S. agricultural exports, including ethanol. McKinney spoke to the Renewable Fuels Association National Ethanol Conference Wednesday about the markets where he sees the most potential for ethanol, including China, Mexico, Brazil, and India. Listen to his remarks: …
President Trump Signs USMCA
President Donald J. Trump today signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), replacing the outdated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), with improved access to both markets for U.S. farmers and ranchers. “This agreement is a tremendous breakthrough for American agriculture,” said President Trump in remarks before signing the agreement. “Poultry exports to Canada are expected to rise 50 percent and …
Secretary Perdue Press Call from Rome
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has been traveling Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy this week to engage with his counterparts on important issues facing agriculture at home and abroad. The Secretary, along with Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney has been participating in events with government officials and agricultural leaders. As President Trump was preparing to …
Trump Touts Trade Triumphs at Farm Bureau Meeting
President Donald Trump addressed farmer and rancher members of the American Farm Bureau Federation for the third year in a row Sunday, and promised to be back next year while continuing to fight for what is important to them. “My administration understands that if we want to stand up for America, we must stand up for American farmers,” said President …
Georgia Ag Commissioner Concerned About USMCA
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black is optimistic about the agriculture industry in his state, and shared a priority to open markets in new places for Georgia-grown products in the months ahead. At the same time, he has some concern regarding the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) as it stands currently, because of hardships it may bring to produce growers. “With …