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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Trade”
By Clint Thompson Fruit and vegetable producers in the Southeast will be disappointed to learn that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) revised Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 trade forecast projects lower exports and a record imports, according to Seth Meyer, chief economist with the USDA. He provided the update during the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum held last week. Exports are …
WASHINGTON – Unfair trade practices with Mexico continue to be at the forefront of Florida’s specialty crop producers. Legislators are doing what they can to protect seasonal producers. Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) and Congressman Darren Soto (D-Fla.) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation earlier this month to help Florida fruit and vegetable growers combat Mexico’s unfair trade practices. “Illegal seasonal dumping and …
WASHINGTON – Unfair trade practices with Mexico continue to be at the forefront of Florida’s specialty crop producers. Legislators are doing what they can to protect seasonal producers. Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) and Congressman Darren Soto (D-Fla.) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation earlier this month to help Florida fruit and vegetable growers combat Mexico’s unfair trade practices. “Illegal seasonal dumping and …
By Clint Thompson A contentious issue at the heart of specialty crop farmers in Georgia and Florida is one of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA)’s main core principles for the 2023 Farm Bill. It focuses on trade and foreign competition which has frustrated fruit and vegetable growers for decades. Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council and co-chair of …
One of the main points of contention regarding unfair trade with Mexico for Southeast specialty crop producers is the microscopic minimum wage Mexican employers pay their employees. That compensation will increase, according to Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). He has announced a plan to raise the minimum wage by 20% in 2023, according to Mexico News Daily. The …
WASHINGTON – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack released the following statement on Monday after his meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on the U.S.- Mexico bilateral trade relationship and its importance for U.S. farmers, ranchers and producers: “We appreciate the president welcoming us to Mexico and engaging in a productive dialogue. The meetings provided a venue to raise the …
In a time when the world is trying to emerge from a global pandemic and eyes the prospect of an energy and food crisis, policies should encourage increasing productivity and the flow of goods. But as the old saying goes, it takes time to turn around a ship. Speaking of ships, have you ever heard of the Jones Act? The …
By Clint Thompson The constant influx of foreign imports on top of Florida vegetables has impacted one producer in how he farms. Chuck Obern with C&B Farms, located south of Clewiston, has discontinued planting certain vegetables he has grown for years. He produced peppers and eggplant for 30 years. But he couldn’t compete with rising imports, so he stopped. “I …
This week the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that it will pursue avenues to assist the Southeast seasonal produce industry in coordination with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) after members of Congress requested an examination of certain issues in a Sept. 8, 2022, Section 301 petition. The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) released …
U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade, received a positive response from U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Ambassador Katharine Tai, following his recent bipartisan push to the Biden Administration to work to create more favorable trade conditions for Georgia pecan growers and shellers in international markets. In her recent letter to Senator Warnock and the bipartisan …
