NGFA, NAEGA outline trade priorities for Trump administration

Aug 03, 2017

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and the North American Export Grain Association (NAEGA) submitted a joint statement to the Trump administration this week regarding the performance of free trade agreements.

In response to a solicitation for comments from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) regarding the administration's assessment of free trade agreements and the nation's trade relations with other members of the World Trade Organization, the NGFA and NAEGA identified opportunities to update and modernize U.S. free trade agreements and highlighted the urgency in initiating trade negotiations with key Asia-Pacific markets.

Withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement "has created a void that foreign export competitors are aggressively exploiting to the detriment of U.S. agricultural exports and our nation's economy," stated the NGFA and NAEGA.

The two groups said key areas that would preserve and enhance U.S. agricultural competitiveness and facilitate trade include not only expanded market access and tariff concessions, but also:
•   improved regulatory consistency and cooperation;
•   removal of non-tariff barriers that lack scientific merit;
•   enabling innovation of information technologies;
•   recognizing comparable regulatory systems for assessing the safety of plant breeding technologies;
•   developing a consistent approach for managing low-level presence (LLP) of biotechnology-enhanced products that have undergone a safety assessment and are approved for use in a third country, but not yet approved for import by a U.S. free trade agreement-member country; and
•   ensuring safe and orderly passage for rail and truck freight transportation.
The organizations also noted their concern about the trading relationship between the United States and the European Union (EU), given the "many unscientifically based and unjustified barriers" erected by the EU to block U.S. grain and other agricultural products from entering its market. "NGFA and NAEGA urge the administration to work with the European Union to remove the barriers and promote a better trading relationship," the comments stated.

The NGFA and NAEGA concluded by noting they are eager "to work actively, constructively and expeditiously with President Trump and the administration's trade team" to develop strategies that will "preserve, improve and build upon existing and new trade relationships to benefit U.S. and world consumers."

Source: National Grain and Feed Association

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.