File photo of piglets at a hog operation in China. (KuLouKu/iStock/Getty Images)

China to exempt U.S. pork, soybeans from additional tariffs

Shanghai | Reuters — China will exempt some agricultural products from additional tariffs on U.S. goods, including pork and soybeans, China’s official Xinhua News Agency said Friday, in the latest sign of easing Sino-U.S. tensions before a new round of talks aimed at curbing a bruising trade war. The United States and China have both […] Read more

The USDA building in Washington, D.C. (Art Wager/iStock/Getty Images)

Global wheat production to decrease, USDA says

MarketsFarm — In the latest supply and demand report from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the global wheat forecast was revised downward due to difficult weather conditions. USDA has now projected 765.53 million tonnes of wheat to be produced in 2019-20, according to the department’s world agriculture supply and demand estimates (WASDE), released Thursday. That’s […] Read more



EU flags in front of the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels. (Jorisvo/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S., Canada, 14 others slam EU farm product regulation at WTO

Geneva | Reuters — The United States and 15 other countries launched a broadside of criticism at the European Union on Thursday, saying its “hazard-based” approach to regulating pesticides and other “critical tools” used by farmers was damaging livelihoods worldwide. Their statement, submitted to the World Trade Organization, said the EU’s approach created great uncertainty […] Read more

Researchers say the ultimate goal of retaliatory tariffs is to inflict economic loss on influential interest groups.

Politics often at heart of China trade retaliations

Researchers say the ultimate goal of retaliatory tariffs is to inflict economic loss on influential interest groups

China hasn’t just manipulated its regulatory system to block Canadian agriculture imports. Its use of phytosanitary standards to hurt foreign suppliers has been used against small countries similar to Canada and also against the United States. Why it matters: China is less restrained when using trade retaliation against smaller countries. “China refused bananas from the […] Read more

A flooded parcel of land along the Platte River is pictured in the aerial photograph at La Platte, south of Omaha, Nebraska on March 19.

U.S. disaster aid won’t cover crops drowned by Midwest floods

There is no mechanism to compensate farmers for grain damaged in storage

Reuters – The Black Hawk military helicopter flew over Iowa, giving a senior U.S. agriculture official and U.S. senator an eyeful of the flood damage below, where yellow corn from ruptured metal silos spilled out into the muddy water. And there’s nothing the U.S. government can do about the millions of bushels of damaged crops […] Read more


Flags in front of the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. (Inakiantonana/E+/Getty Images)

U.S. to seek comprehensive ag access in EU trade talks

Washington | Reuters — The United States on Friday signaled it would not bow to the European Union’s request to keep agriculture out of this year’s planned U.S.-EU trade talks, publishing negotiating objectives that seek comprehensive EU access for American farm products. The objectives, required by Congress under the “fast-track” trade negotiating authority law, seek […] Read more