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Balanced Reporting. Trusted Insights.
Saturday, April 05, 2025
The second part of a three-part series on the impact of agricultural exports on the U.S. economy and the risks and promise for ag trade going forward: U.S. ag exports to China are falling year after year following a spike driven by the Phase One agreement. Brazil, meanwhile, is ramping up its trading relationship with China.
The Biden administration has made it clear it won't use the 14-nation Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity to negotiate lower tariffs on American ag exports, but U.S. officials insist there are plenty of non-tariff trade barriers to be resolved, and U.S. farm groups’ hopes are high as talks continue this week in San Francisco during a seventh round of negotiations.
U.S. farm groups were quick to cheer Tuesday's announcement of a $1.3 billion investment in a new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program after waiting for weeks for the USDA to confirm its plans to fund a new program to help promote ag exports.
Farm and biotech groups cheered when U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced the Biden administration would take on Mexico in a dispute over Mexican biotech corn restrictions, but the process is likely to stretch on for months.
The U.S. is going to be able to export a lot more ethanol to Japan if the country implements a new federal rule published by the country’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, according to statements released Friday by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and U.S. lobbying groups.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai told lawmakers last week she is putting Chief Agriculture Negotiator Doug McKalip in charge of working with Brazil to end its tariff on U.S. ethanol and now McKalip is preparing to go to there as U.S. tensions remain high over the barrier preventing U.S. exports.
U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Ryan LeGrand is optimistic about most markets but frustrated over decrees from Mexico and trade decisions in Colombia.
The Philippines, citing the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on world grain supplies and prices, has reduced its tariff on corn imports from 35% down to 5% and that has opened new opportunities for U.S. corn farmers.
The Biden administration has all but ruled out tariff-slashing market access deals when it comes to its proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, but the U.S. ag sector still hopes the agreement will include a trade pillar that boosts exports to rapidly growing markets that are home to a patchwork of regulatory restrictions and non-tariff trade barriers.
