Trade

By Max Fisher, Vice President, Economics and Government Relations The U.S.-China economic and trade agreement signed on Jan. 15 at a White House ceremony contains significant specific commitments, time deadlines and enforcement metrics designed to provide more predictable trade between the two countries, as well as commitments by China to purchase at least $80 billion of U.S. food, agricultural and seafood products by the end of calendar year 2021. NGFA Chairman Eric Wilkey, president of Arizona Grain Inc., Casa Grande, Ariz., was among agricultural industry leaders who accepted ... Read More

During a busy trade-focused week, the United States, European Union and Japan agreed to propose reform of the World Trade Organization’s trading rules to curb distortive subsidies. Following a meeting in Washington, trade ministers for the three countries – Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Kajiyama Hiroshi, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan – issued a joint statement that the WTO’s existing trading rules were insufficient to address market distortions resulting from government subsidies. The joint statement was the result of nearly ... Read More

While the Senate Finance Committee easily approved the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) this week, the timing for a final ratification vote on the Senate floor remains unclear. The Senate committee approved the House-passed USMCA implementing legislation (H.R. 5430) by a 25-3 vote. Senate aides have said a full Senate vote on the accord likely will be delayed until after next week, since the legislation was referred to six other committees for review. “I look forward to a vote on the Senate floor, hopefully soon on final passage,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, ... Read More

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has scheduled a markup of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) for Jan. 7.  He said he expects the Senate to receive the legislation from the House by then. “This markup will move us closer to ratifying USMCA in early 2020,” Grassley said in a Dec. 20 announcement. “Farmers, manufacturers and all American workers will soon be able to benefit from a stronger and modernized trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.” More than a year after U.S., Canadian and Mexican heads of state announced the trade deal, the House ... Read More

President Donald Trump said this week that he would sign “phase one” of the trade deal with China on Jan. 15 at the White House. In a Dec. 31 tweet, Trump said he would sign the deal with “high level representatives of China” and that “at a later date” he would travel to Beijing, China, to begin talks on a “phase two” accord designed to focus on more structural reforms of the U.S.-Chinese trade relationship. No date for Trump’s trip has been announced. The White House announced the “phase one” trade deal between the United States and China on Dec. 13, but no details have been published. ... Read More

By Sarah Gonzalez, Director of Communications and Digital Media The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is revisiting whether to maintain or impose up to 100 percent additional tariffs on certain imports from the European Union (EU). USTR is accepting written comments by Jan. 13 concerning the proposed tariffs, as well as the potential impact they could have on U.S. interests. The proposed action, published in the Federal Register on Dec. 6, follows a Dec. 2 World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance panel report that rejected the EU’s claims that its modified practices ... Read More

By Sarah Gonzalez, Director of Communications and Digital Media More than a year after U.S., Canadian and Mexican heads of state announced the trade deal, the House approved the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) by a strong bipartisan 385-41 vote on Dec. 19. “Having a sound and competitive free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada is critical to the continued economic success of the United States and the North American region,” said NGFA President and Chief Executive Officer Randy Gordon in a press statement following the vote. “The USMCA preserves or expands upon critical market ... Read More