The National Corn Growers Association leadership team was out in full force last week at the Farm Progress Show, including the new kid on the board, Kevin Ross of Iowa. Ross was elected this summer to become the organization’s first vice president for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, and he is jumping right into the issues head …
Secretary Perdue Comments on Current Issues
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited the Farm Progress Show this week, making an appearance for everyone at the show to enjoy with Max Armstrong and Orion Samuelson in the VIP tent, followed by a press gaggle where trade was the number one topic, along with WOTUS and the Renewable Fuel Standard. Asked about Canada and its dairy policy – …
Export Panel at #ACEconf18 Explores Tariff Wars
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) interim CEO Jon Doggett and CHS Director of Global Trading Max Thomasson explored the impact of current trade negotiations and tariff wars on the global market for corn and ethanol during a panel at last week’s American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) conference in Minneapolis. Doggett drove home the point that if it was President Clinton …
USDA Announces Trade Disruption Relief for Farmers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will take several actions to assist farmers negatively impacted by recent trade actions. President Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a short-term relief strategy to protect agricultural producers while the Administration works on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets in the long run to help American farmers compete globally. Specifically, …
China’s Impact on U.S. Beef Demand
China reopened its borders to United States beef in 2017, but that historic decision sparked both challenges and opportunities for American beef producers, according to Ian Lahiffe, Lead of Operations, Allflex Livestock Intelligence. Lahiffe said beef consumption has almost doubled in China over the past 10-15 years, but Chinese consumers are accustomed to grass-fed beef primarily from Brazil or Australia …
Farm Foundation Forum Features Ag Trade Perspectives
A timely Farm Foundation Forum this week featured the current Chief Agriculture Negotiator of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and three of his predecessors going back to 2001 commenting on the current trade environment for agriculture. A Conversation with the Ambassadors: Trade War or Rhetoric? was moderated by Farm Foundation Vice President of Policy and Programs Megan Provost …
China Imposes Import Fee on U.S. Sorghum
China’s Ministry of Commerce has imposed a “temporary antidumping measure” on U.S. sorghum imports, requiring a deposit of almost 179 percent on the value of sorghum shipments starting today. National Sorghum Producers president and CEO Tim Lust says they are “deeply disappointed” in the action. “National Sorghum Producers, alongside our producers, stakeholders and partners, has cooperated fully with China’s antidumping …
Senators Excited About Prospects for TPP Revisit
Farm state senators came out of a meeting with President Trump Thursday very optimistic about the future for agricultural trade. Republican Senators Pat Roberts of Kansas, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse of Nebraska held a press conference after the meeting and all agreed it was very productive, but the potential for re-entering the Trans Pacific …
Trump Discusses Agricultural Trade Issues
Governors and senators from agricultural states such as Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, North and South Dakota had a meeting with President Donald Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer today to discuss recent trade actions and how farmers may be impacted. In a press availability prior to the start of the meeting, President Trump talked about NAFTA, China, the European Union, …
China Adds Tariffs on Beef and Soybeans
More U.S. agricultural products are on the second list of retaliatory tariffs from China, including both soybeans and beef, of 25 percent. Kent Bacus, Director of International Trade and Market Access for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), calls the action unsettling but not surprising. “This is a battle between two governments, and the unfortunate casualties will be America’s cattlemen …