Latest News From Trade

The government of China has come a long way in developing its agricultural sector over a relatively short period. Since 2000, the real value of China’s agricultural production has increased more than 530 percent.

India and four European countries, namely Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, have finally signed a free trade pact after 16 years of negotiations. The impact could come in job creation.

Major disruptions to shipping through the Panama and Suez canals, occurring for very different reasons, are contributing to the recent spike in ocean freight rates.

We are living in an age of political disruption. Candidates who break the silence on trade and offer a positive agenda for expanding exports may find themselves rewarded with farm-country votes.

From drought issues posing problems in the Panama Canal to growing tensions and attacks in the Red Sea, it's causing freight rates to skyrocket and ongoing delays in shipping products around the globe. 

AgriTalk has extended an invitation to all the 2024 presidential hopefuls to join Host Chip Flory and answer five standard questions about what they would focus on once in office.

“In this market, there's a lot of risk from the farm gates to the retail side. So more conversation goes along way this year,” Josh Linville says. 

This fall, Farm Journal’s Chip Flory and Michelle Rook traveled to the Port of Grays Harbor in Washington and the Port of South Louisiana. Here's what they learned about two very different ports with two important jobs.

Dredging the Mississippi River to a depth of 50' allows 500,000 more soybean bushels to be loaded per vessel, which helps lower freight rates and adds to the value of the soybeans exported.

The port of South Louisiana is the No. 1 export port for grain by volume in the U.S., so it's important for U.S. farmers getting their product to export markets. 

The life of Napoleon conveys a timeless message: Protectionism always fails and nobody wins a trade war.

Earlier this week, as part of an annual administrative review of countervailing duty orders, the Department of Commerce (DOC) adjusted duties on imported phosphate fertilizers.

A delegation from 11 ag industry groups gathered in Beijing on Thursday to meet Chinese counterparts amid growing U.S. efforts to bolster farm trade even as political ties between their two countries remain strained.

An increase in crushing capacity means there's going to be more soybean meal available for export. To prepare for that transition, infrastructure improvements are being made at the Port of Grays Harbor in Washington.

Weather in Brazil is as big of a market mover as forecasts in the U.S. Why has Brazil grown so aggressively? One economist recently spent six months in Brazil and says a combination of factors is aiding their growth.

Recently a new theory of comprehending Chinese government action has emerged and seems plausible if not likely: Xi Jinping may not be the sharpest pencil in the box, even borderline incompetent.

While the U.S. and EU aim to make progress during an upcoming summit, reaching a final agreement is uncertain. This issue has significant implications for U.S./EU ties, climate goals, and geopolitics.

China's Commerce minister expressed concerns over trade and tech restrictions to U.S. Senate Majority Leader this week. That's as the U.S. Commerce Department added 42 more Chinese companies to the export blacklist.

As brent crude futures soar toward $100, it's creating a new battle in the Federal Reserve's effort to fight inflation. One money manager warns another rate hike is likely. 

Mizzou's Ben Brown says the 81.2 million bushels new crop export sale marks the largest week of sales for the 2023/24 marketing year to date and double the previous record weekly volume for the year set last week.

China's GDP growth could possibly drop lower than the U.S. this year. In fact, fewer and fewer sectors are healthy, and only then by direct government intervention.

In the arena of global trade, we’ve squandered opportunities. We’ve surrendered America’s traditional leadership position. We’ve lost years of strength and leverage. We have a choice to engage and to lead. It is time.

USDA on Thursday lowered expectations for both ag exports and imports in FY 2023. The export decline is linked to corn and wheat, while the import decline is correlated with easing prices.

Brazil briefly wore the global corn export crown in 2012 because of the U.S. drought. With the ability to churn out three corn crops per year and a supply deal with China, Brazil might be set to maintain that title.

If this test voyage is successful, Cargill aims to add 10 more vessels to be wind-powered.

Agricultural R&D can help developing countries address their own unique challenges and shore up local food systems to better withstand shocks. This blog summarizes a research paper on this topic.

China’s economic woes continue to mount with continued data pointing toward a recession. What does this mean for U.S. ag exports?

“Mexico’s decree, which runs counter to scientific findings and is in direct violation of USMCA, is negatively impacting American corn growers,” said Tom Haag, NCGA president.

Drought is impacting operations along the Panama Canal, one of the largest shipping channels in the world, with restrictions now placed on both the number of ships, as well as the amount of cargo they can carry.

John Phipps says the rapid reduction in farmer numbers is a result of government efforts to raise money, since the government owns the land, and achieve modest economies of scale for added productivity.

The ag port addition is expected to increase exports of DDGS, corn and soybeans by 400,000 metric tons each year.

In Mexico, corn is much more than a food crop—it's a key part of the country's heritage, culture and traditions. Mexico argues glyphosate and GMOs are dangerous to human health, and seeks alternative practices.

Grain prices continue to rally as Russia ramped up attacks on Ukrainian ports on the River Danube. But agricultural economists and markets analysts point out the situation still hasn’t reached a worst-case scenario yet.

According to a new report by USDA, ag imports from Latin America and the Caribbean have increased over the past 12 years, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.9%.

The July Ag Economists' Monthly Monitor showed several key changes from June including a bigger cut to corn and soybean yields, a drop in corn and soybean prices and more bullish cattle and hog prices.

The leaders also drafted a proposed legislation earlier this month that promises treaty-like benefits for businesses seeking cross-border investment opportunities via the tax code.

The Kremlin said there was no link between the attack and suspending the deal, which lets Ukraine export grain through the Black Sea. Instead, it occurred over a failure to ease rules for food and fertilizer exports.

This slump, deeper than May's 7.5% drop, represents the largest decline since February 2020.

During a bilateral meeting on Thursday, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai discussed with Mexico's Secretary of Economy Tatiana Clouthier various issues concerning energy and biotech corn.

Representatives from the U.S., Mexico and Canada will meet in Cancun, Mexico this week to discuss a series of disputes, including Mexican energy and biotech policies and Canadian dairy barriers.

Beijing on Monday announced export controls on gallium and germanium. Now the Biden administration is set to restrict Chinese companies’ access to U.S. cloud-computing services that use AI chips.

The European Commission proposed revising its rules on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on Wednesday to loosen some restrictions for plants resulting from newer gene-editing technology.

The Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor is a new survey of nearly 50 economists. Most ag economists agree the next 12 months could produce more financial pressure for agriculture, but their views vary depending on commodity.

Mercenary fighters will escape repercussions; deal details awaited; what’s next?

Mexico reached an agreement with food manufacturers to use only non-GMO corn in tortilla production across the country. The government says it plans to implement new import tariffs on white corn imports.

The U.S. and China have reportedly made “progress” and agreed to stabilize their relationship, but no major breakthroughs were outlined during the two-day meeting between U.S. and China high-ranking officials.

Over the 29 years of free trade, U.S. ag exports to Mexico increased both in terms of volume and value, although there were some years where growth was not positive.

While Ohio pig farmers Phillip Hord and Jessica Campbell’s operations may look different, driving demand is where their paths intersect. By bringing a new flavor to the farm, the producers are also driving pork demand.

Sluggish exports continue to be the main theme in the grain markets with USDA cutting both old and new crop ending stocks. Arlan Suderman of StoneX Group says the bigger story moving forward might be soft corn demand.

The bright spot for the U.S. pork industry is currently pork exports, with U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) reporting another strong pork export performance in April citing broad-based growth to several countries.