The U.S. will protect its farmers during rising trade tensions between the U.S. and China, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association yesterday (see Reuters). This follows a statement from USDA last week stating that it was looking for ways to shield farmers from the conflict between China and the U.S. … Continue Reading
China has increased tariffs by up to 25% on 128 U.S. products—including many food products—in response to the increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports announced by President Trump last month. The new tariffs, effective April 2, include 25% on U.S. pork and 15% on certain wine products, fruits, and nuts. China issued a statement … Continue Reading
China announced tariff cuts on 187 products—including baby powdered milk, avocados and mineral water—effective December 1, 2017. (See Financial Times (subscription required) and S. News.) The import tariffs will average 7.7%, down from the current 17.3%. In addition to foods, the reduced tariffs will impact selected health supplements, pharmaceuticals, clothing items, shoes and other consumer … Continue Reading
Legislation that would increase funding for two U.S. Department of Agriculture export promotion programs was introduced in the U.S. Senate last week. Sponsored by Senators Angus King (I-ME), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), and Susan Collins (R-ME), the “Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Trade and Exports (CREAATE) Act” (S. 1839) would increase funding for … Continue Reading
Argentina has blocked imports of American pork since 1992, citing animal health concerns. On August 17, 2017, the White House announced that the United States and Argentina have agreed to terms that will allow U.S. pork to enter the Argentine market for the first time since 1992. The agreement follows an August 15, 2017 meeting … Continue Reading
Meat, poultry, and egg products imported to the United States fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS). FSIS administers requirements that seek to ensure these products are produced under standards equivalent to the U.S. inspection system. For nearly 2 decades, Dutch veal was banned from the … Continue Reading
As background, China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) supervises and regulates the production of food-related products, such as food packaging materials, containers and food processing tools throughout China. AQSIQ also oversees the safety and quality of food imports and exports and collects and analyzes information on the safety of food imports … Continue Reading
Canada has proposed regulations to implement the Safe Foods for Canadians Act (SFCA), which was adopted on June 7, 2012. A pre-publication copy of the proposed rules is available in the Canada Gazette – Part I, Vol. 151, No. 3 (January 21, 2017). The three key elements to the proposed Safe Foods for Canadians Regulations are … Continue Reading
FDA launches electronic system to facilitate dairy exports. Companies that wish to export products to foreign countries must comply with U.S. laws and regulations, as well as the requirements of the export markets. FDA provides certain resources that can be helpful to companies seeking to gain access to export markets, e.g., export certificates, lists of exporting … Continue Reading
FDA proposes e-filing requirements to facilitate product imports. FDA and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) work together to facilitate the admission of imported products into the U.S. The Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) is a commercial trade processing system operated by CBP that helps automate and expedite the processing of imports and exports. Earlier … Continue Reading
USDA loosens livestock export rules. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has regulatory authority over both the import and export of livestock products. In the import context, APHIS works to ensure that products entering the U.S. meet the Agency’s entry requirements to exclude pests and diseases. … Continue Reading
