WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced last Friday that avocado exports from Mexico to the United States (U.S.) have resumed. APHIS, working closely with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico’s Regional Security Officer, Mexico’s national plant protection organization (SENASICA), and the Association of Avocado Producers and Packers Exporters of Mexico …
Agricultural Exports Shattered Records in 2021
WASHINGTON – American agricultural export levels reached its highest annual export levels ever recorded in 2021, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced on Tuesday. The final 2021 trade data published by the Department of Commerce showed that exports of U.S. farm and food products to the world totaled $177 billion, topping the 2020 total by 18% and eclipsing the previous …
AFBF Annual Meeting Highlights Ag Exports
By Clint Thompson The exports of American agricultural products increased substantially in 2021, most notably in China due to the Phase One Agreement. Veronica Nigh, economist with American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), highlighted China’s purchasing increases during AFBF’s meeting in Atlanta earlier this month. “They went from purchasing about $22 billion worth of Ag products in 2016 down to $9 …
Commissioner Fried: ITC Reports Confirm Imports Devastating Florida Farmers
Tallahassee, Fla. – The U.S. International Trade Commission’s (ITC) investigations into the impact that imports of squash and cucumbers have had on seasonal growers generated responses from various industry leaders in Florida; starting with Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. “The ITC reports confirm what our department’s reports have long shown and what Florida’s seasonal producers have long felt: unfair trade …
Ag Secretary: China About $16 Billion Short in Purchases in Phase One Agreement
By Clint Thompson U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack discussed the importance of exports and holding countries to specified agreements during a speech to the American Farm Bureau Federation on Monday. He was especially specific when discussing the country’s relationship with China. “I know that 30% at some point in time of what we grow and raise is ultimately exported …
USITC Releases Results of Investigations Concerning Imports of Cucumbers, Squash
Two investigations by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) yielded various conclusions about the impact that imports of cucumbers and squash are having on U.S. seasonal markets. The USITC’s conclusions regarding cucumbers include: Mexico is a highly competitive supplier of summer squash, with low costs, a reputation for consistently high product quality, and preferential packing and sorting. In the United …
Fresh Vegetable Imports Continue to Increase
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, fresh vegetable imports continued to increase in 2021, compared to the previous three years. Tomatoes’ import value in 2021 was approximately $2.1 billion, compared to $1.8 billion in 2018. Tomato imports were estimated at 3.2 billion pounds in 2021, compared to 3.1 billion in 2018. Cucumbers’ value was $0.7 billion …
Commissioner Fried: We Need Federal Action to Level Playing Field
Tallahassee, Fla. — Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday. She addressed the continued unfair foreign trade practices being employed by Mexico and other countries that are causing severe harm to the domestic seasonal produce industry. “Florida farmers and American agriculture is the best in the world, and …
USITC Investigation: Future of Cucumbers, Squashes Markets at Stake
By Clint Thompson Southeast vegetable and specialty crop producers should find out in the next couple of months the impact of two factfinding investigations by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) on the effects of imported cucumbers and squashes on the U.S. seasonal markets. It could have significant ramifications for future markets for both commodities, said John Walt Boatright, director …
Letter to President: Action Needed Now Against ‘Unfair’ Imports
The message is clear: Action is needed immediately against “unfair” imports. Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, along with more than half of Florida’s congressional delegation, pleaded with President Joe Biden in a letter addressed on Oct. 6 that the “long-standing threats posed to our security by unfairly-priced and high-volume imports are as grave as ever and deserve your …