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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Thursday, April 18, 2024
In this opinion piece, Kasey Cronquist of the North American Blueberry Council calls for an amendment that would eliminate Japan's tariffs on frozen blueberries from the U.S.
The Biden administration has so far opted not to enter into traditional, tariff-cutting free trade agreements, and farm groups are now turning to the large field of candidates hoping to be the next president to make the case for new trade deals.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai continued her defense of a Biden trade agenda that does not so far include traditional free trade agreements with other nations, but several senators strenuously pushed back, arguing that the U.S. is being left behind on the international stage as China pushes forward with new tariff-slashing pacts.
The U.S. and Japan have reached a deal that would make it less likely that the Japanese safeguard trigger will boost tariffs on U.S. beef, as it has done in the past.
The Biden administration’s proposed Indo Pacific Economic Framework, an effort to strengthen economic ties and improve trading conditions with countries like India, the Philippines and Vietnam, got some praise during a Tuesday Senate hearing, but much of the time was spent discussing what it would not accomplish - new market access for U.S. ag.
Vietnam is following through on promises to slash its most-favored nation tariffs on corn, wheat and pork, offering new opportunities for U.S. ag exporters, USDA says.
In an increasingly global market where U.S. beef, pork and poultry producers can no longer thrive without access to foreign markets, the ag sector is clamoring for new advantages over foreign competitors, better access to foreign buyers and new free trade agreements.
The Biden administration needs to concentrate on negotiating to gain increased access to foreign markets for U.S. ag exporters – especially in Asia – or risk falling further behind in the international race to increase trade ties, according to a diverse panel of experts gathered Thursday by Farmers for Free Trade.
A veteran senior Senate staffer, Fitzhugh Elder, will be taking over as GOP staff director for the Senate Agriculture Committee next month, sources tell Agri-Pulse. He will replace Martha Scott Poindexter, who’s moving to the U.S. Dairy Export Council.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says he’ll make sure the Treasury Department understands the importance of stepped-up basis to farm groups. Vilsack was pressed about that issue during an appearance Wednesday before the House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee.
