The Agriculture Department is clarifying labeling requirements for meat and poultry products, including for claims that animals are “grass-fed” or treated without antibiotics or hormones.

China is going to lift tariffs to allow in more U.S. soybeans and pork, according to Xinhua News, a government-run media outlet, though it's unclear how much of the U.S. commodities will be allowed in, or for how long.

For U.S. red meat exporters, it's been touch and go with their major markets for two to three years, yet their foreign sales keep growing robustly, and they hope to set records again in 2020.

President Donald Trump and White House officials insist that China will be buying $40 billion to 50 billion worth of U.S. agricultural products annually over the next couple of years, if the countries nail down a trade deal in the coming weeks, but the question is whether U.S. farmers, processors and exporters could meet that challenge.

The soybean industry is looking to band together with the livestock and poultry sectors in a new effort to promote U.S. protein overseas.

As much as growers long for an end to the trade war with China, there are long-term threats to demand for corn, soybeans and other crops that could depress commodity prices for years to come and lead to calls for higher government spending, economists say.

American agriculture is facing numerous challenges and unfortunately, an overwhelming share is being shouldered by U.S. pork producers like myself. However, the news earlier this week of a signed trade deal with Japan is significant and hopefully a catalyst for similar agreements in other countries.

Japan agreed Wednesday to cut or eliminate tariffs on $7.2 billion worth of U.S. ag commodities and erect new quotas under a trade deal that U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed Wednesday.

High-level U.S. and Chinese agricultural trade officials are prominent in the bilateral trade talks this week as Gregg Doud, the top ag negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative, and Han Jun, China’s vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs, met together with others at USTR's Washington headquarters Thursday.