Trade admin November 2, 2023

TRADE

Overview: NGFA is focused on expanding markets.

The NGFA supports a proactive U.S. trade agenda focused on expanding market access and fostering the use of science-based health and safety rules to create additional market opportunities for U.S. grains, oilseeds and value-added exports. 

Maintain U.S. Agriculture Markets in Mexico: As an association with a mission to advocate an open market environment, NGFA is focused on improving U.S. commodities markets. As supply chains adapt to the recent challenges in international trade, an extraordinary opportunity exists to strengthen North American trade in agricultural products. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) provides the world’s best framework for seizing that opportunity. NGFA and its members are urging Congress and U.S. officials to find an expeditious resolution to trade blockades, particularly Mexico’s proposed ban on some uses of biotech corn. Read More

China: NGFA seeks to restore competitive open market agricultural trade and a level playing field with China. The Phase One trade accord with China represents a significant step in resolving disruptions and long-standing impediments involving trade between the world’s two largest economies. 

Read more details about important aspects of the agreement written by NGFA Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Economist Max Fisher:

U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA): With more than $40 billion in U.S. agricultural exports going to Mexico and Canada in 2020, the North American market continues to be a bonanza for American agriculture. The USMCA includes several significant advancements in facilitating the trade of grains, oilseeds and their derived products in the North American marketplace. WATCH: American Agricultural Trade Needs USMCA

Asia-Pacific Region: The Asia Pacific region remains the world’s largest, rapidly growing market for food and agriculture products. NGFA is committed to advancing U.S. interests in this vital region so that U.S. agriculture does not fall behind competitors in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Europe: The NGFA is advising the U.S. Trade Representative on elements to include in a potential trade agreement with the United Kingdom, including incorporating the more science- and risk-based approaches contained in USMCA and the U.S.-China Phase One agreement.

Trade Promotion Authority (TPA): While the executive branch negotiates trade agreements, Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) paves the way for the enactment of these agreements by allowing for expedited congressional consideration and an up-or-down vote without amendments. Unfortunately, TPA lapsed on July 1, 2021 and the NGFA is supportive of efforts to extend TPA and to increase the likelihood of success in entering into new trade agreements. 

CROP TECHNOLOGY

The NGFA supports agricultural biotechnology and other scientific advancements that promote safe and abundant food and feed supply. However, the NGFA believes biotech-enhanced traits should be commercialized only after achieving broad, deep consumer acceptance, as well as authorizations from U.S. export markets, to enable the industry to meet customer preferences and maintain access to global markets. The NGFA advocates prudent policies to guard against the presence of unauthorized or restricted-use biotech-enhanced traits in the general commodity stream. It also advocates a responsible and commercially achievable tolerance for low-level presence in commodity shipments of biotech-enhanced traits that have been approved by the governmental authority in the exporting country.

NGFA’s Crop Biotechnology Policy 2023: The NGFA Board of Directors approved the Crop Technology Committee’s updates to the Crop Biotechnology Policy in March 2023. The document’s primary purpose is to guide NGFA staff on addressing specific biotech-related issues. NGFA members are not bound by the policy in the document.