Council Bluffs | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday directing federal agencies to streamline the review process for agricultural biotechnology including genetically modified livestock and seeds. Trump signed the order during a visit to an ethanol plant in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The executive order, he said, would “speed up […] Read more
Trump simplifies reviews of genetically modified farm products
Trump calls off tariffs after Mexico vows to tighten borders
Washington/Mexico City | Reuters — The United States and Mexico struck a deal on Friday to avert a tariff war, with Mexico agreeing to rapidly expand a controversial asylum program and deploy security forces to stem the flow of illegal Central American migrants. U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to impose five per cent import […] Read more
Pence, Trudeau to discuss Huawei, China trade issues in Ottawa
Washington | Reuters — U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will discuss their joint dispute with China over Huawei Technologies during a meeting in Ottawa on Thursday, a senior U.S. administration official said. Pence, known for taking a hard line against China, will travel to the Canadian capital to discuss trade […] Read more
U.S., Canada, Mexico sign trade deal after last-minute brinkmanship
Buenos Aires | Reuters — The leaders of Mexico, Canada and the United States signed a North American trade pact on Friday after brinkmanship over the final details of the deal continued through the eve of the signing. They agreed on a deal in principle to govern the more than trillion dollars of mutual trade […] Read more
Canada, U.S. deal saves NAFTA as trilateral pact
Ottawa/Washington | Reuters — The U.S. and Canada forged a last-gasp deal on Sunday to salvage NAFTA as a trilateral pact with Mexico, rescuing a three-country, US$1.2 trillion open-trade zone that had been about to collapse after nearly a quarter century. In a big victory for his agenda to shake up an era of global […] Read more
Canada, U.S. reach deal to update NAFTA, sources say
Ottawa/Washington | Reuters — The U.S. and Canada reached a deal to update NAFTA and keep it a trilateral pact with Mexico, beating a midnight deadline with agreements to boost U.S. access to Canada’s dairy market and protect Canada from possible U.S. autos tariffs, two Canadian sources with direct knowledge of the talks said on […] Read more
U.S., Mexico reach NAFTA deal, turning up pressure on Canada
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. and Mexico agreed on Monday to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), putting pressure on Canada to agree to new terms on auto trade and dispute settlement rules to remain part of the three-nation pact. Auto stocks soared and financial markets firmed on the expectation that Canada […] Read more
Trump says U.S.-Canada trade deal possible, excluding Mexico
Washington | Reuters –– U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be open to a bilateral trade pact with Canada if a deal cannot be reached with Mexico to substantially revise the North American Free Trade Agreement. Asked by a reporter if he could envision maintaining free trade with Canada if NAFTA talks […] Read more
U.S. drone rules remain in hangar in 2014
New York | Reuters — The United States missed a year-end deadline for publishing new rules on remote-control aircraft, delaying an eagerly awaited step toward using drones in everything from farming to package delivery. Businesses have been clamouring for rules to allow commercial drone flights, fearing the U.S. is falling behind other countries in developing […] Read more
Obama signs sprawling U.S. Farm Bill, lauds rural progress
East Lansing, Mich. | Reuters — In a large barn smelling faintly of horses, President Barack Obama signed the US$956 billion farm bill into law on Friday, comparing the five-year law to “a Swiss Army knife” because of the variety of ways it can support jobs in America. “It multi-tasks,” Obama said, describing how the […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
