In this opinion piece, Becky Rasdall with the International Dairy Foods Association discusses the freight issues currently plaguing U.S. dairy and many other commodities and exporting industries.

An end is finally in sight in the wait for a new agriculture secretary. The Senate has scheduled action for Feb. 23 on Tom Vilsack's nomination to return for a second stint at the head of USDA.

Exports of U.S. beef and pork both experienced a strong finish to the calendar year in December, besting 2019 figures and offering insights into consumer trends around the world and what is yet to come in the new year.

The U.S. exported $26.4 billion worth of agricultural goods to China in calendar year 2020, setting a new record, according to the latest USDA trade numbers that came out Friday.

A new letter from 115 food and agriculture organizations says Katherine Tai is “eminently qualified” to be the next U.S. Trade Representative.

The action may scare some potential investors away from doing new business with Cuban buyers, but it won’t have a direct impact on U.S. agricultural exports to the island nation.

The 117th Congress is officially underway with the swearing in of new members Sunday. The House includes a number of new members who could play a role in shaping food and agriculture policy, considering its importance to their districts.

Philip Seng, former president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, has been presented Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun, which is awarded to people who have made distinguished achievements in international relations and other fields.

A coalition of a major farm groups is urging the incoming Biden administration to abandon the disruptive tariffs and trade wars that have been hallmarks of the Trump administration and instead chart a more stable course to increase access to international markets.

Earlier this year, Germany faced a $1 billion loss in access to pork export markets after a single case of African Swine Fever (ASF) was detected in a wild boar. The population of feral swine in the United States, estimated between 4-9 million, also poses a threat to export security.