Articles by Bill Tomson

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will be in Japan this weekend to meet with agriculture ministers from the G-7 group of major industrialized nations. But, in an exclusive interview with Agri-Pulse, Vilsack says a lot of his time will be devoted to keeping the Trans-Pacific Partne

An end to the embargo on Cuba would offer major rewards to U.S. agricultural exporters, but Cuba still needs to make substantial reforms to remove barriers that could hamper trade, according to a 437-page report by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

China is eliminating a complex web of subsidies the country has been using to boost its exports of agricultural, medical, textile and other goods, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said Thursday.

The 2014 farm bill€s Actual Production History (APH) Yield Exclusion (YE) is available for the first time ever for winter wheat farmers, and it€s turning out to be a popular crop insurance program, according to officials and preliminary internal USDA data.

The U.S. isn€t waiting until Congress votes on the Trans-Pacific Partnership to start making sure that the other 11 countries in the free trade deal are ready to begin implementing it if and when it takes effect, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said Wednesday&

More than 200 farm groups and food companies came together Monday to deliver a letter to congressional leaders, urging approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman still believes Congress will pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal this year and his agency is working with lawmakers to draw up the necessary legislation in preparation, Froman said Friday.

Iraq has a new way of doing things when it comes to buying rice, and U.S. suppliers think it just might work out to their advantage, according to the USA Rice Federation.

The debate over a controversial USDA proposal to make convenience stores that participate in the food stamp program sell healthier foods just got more oxygen now that the department has added an extra month for public comment.

The USDA is making a new push to drum up support for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) deal being negotiated by the U.S. and EU with a new report showing falling farm exports to Europe.