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 …
USTR Commits to Working Toward ‘Positive Outcome’ for Georgia’s Pecan Growers
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 …
Blueberry Growers Support Bipartisan Florida Petition on Mexican Trade Practices
The Florida Blueberry Growers Association (FBGA) added its voice to other agriculture producer groups in support of the Florida delegation’s Section 301 petition to protect the state’s fresh fruit and vegetable farmers from the rapidly rising onslaught of heavily subsidized Mexican produce. “Now is the time to deliver relief to domestic producers under assault from foreign imports, including blueberry growers,” …
Florida Ag Groups Praise Bipartisan Filing of Petition to Combat Unfair Trade Practices
Florida’s specialty crop organizations praised the bipartisan filing of petition to combat unfair trade practices. Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, was among those praising the congressional leaders that were part of the petition. “For too long, specialty crop growers across the U.S. have faced the devastating effects of unfair imports from Mexico,” said Joyner. “The …
Rubio, Lawson to USTR: “Untenable Situation Imposed by Mexico’s Practices and Policies”
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representative Al Lawson (D-FL) led bipartisan members of the Florida congressional delegation to petition U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to initiate a Section 301 investigation of fruit and vegetable imports from Mexico and to secure trade relief for Florida growers. “The Biden Administration has affirmed its intention to protect and reinvigorate critical supply chains …
Rubio, Colleagues Petition USTR to Protect Florida Producers from Unfair Trade Practices
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representative Al Lawson (D-FL) led bipartisan members of the Florida congressional delegation to petition U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to initiate a Section 301 investigation of fruit and vegetable imports from Mexico and to secure trade relief for Florida growers. …
U.S. Ag Trade: Imports in FY 2023 at $197 Billion
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service and Foreign Agricultural Service Situation and Outlook Report notes that agricultural (Ag) imports in fiscal year (FY) 2023 are projected to increase $5.0 billion above the FY 2022 forecast to $197 billion. This is mostly due to higher imports of horticultural products, sugar, tropical products, along with grains and feed products. Total …
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
A changing landscape in agriculture calls for policy reform. By Zhengfei Guan and Kuan-Ming Huang The United States has been the largest agricultural exporter in the world and has had surplus in agricultural trade for decades. In 2019, however, the United States saw a deficit (-$1.3 billion) for the first time in over half a century since data were available. …
Senator Ossoff Assures Pecan Growers Indian Tariffs a Top Priority
By Clint Thompson Senator Jon Ossoff’s (D-GA) visit to South Georgia a month ago yielded positive dialogue with the state’s pecan growers and industry leaders. One of the concerns that the Georgia Pecan Growers Association voiced was the high tariffs that India has imposed on U.S. pecans. A month later, Ossoff assures producers that reducing or eliminating those tariffs is …
UGA Expert’s Senate Testimony Calls for Predictable, Equitable Trade Policies
By Jordan Powers When visualizing the daily life of farmers, we often think of green fields, hardworking families and harvest time. Often missing from the picture of the modern American farmer is his daily concern with fuel and fertilizer prices, crop yields and trade issues. On June 9, Gopinath “Gopi” Munisamy, distinguished professor of agricultural marketing and interim head of …
