Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday signed legislation to improve oversight of ocean shipping, which lawmakers say will help curb inflation and ease export backlogs. The bipartisan bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a 369-42 vote earlier this week. Biden said he had “promised to crack down on ocean […] Read more
Biden signs ocean shipping bill in bid to reduce backlogs
Biden touts grain silos on Ukraine border to help exports
Kyiv wants ports open
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday that temporary silos would be built along the border with Ukraine in a bid to help export more grain and address a growing global food crisis. Since the Russian invasion and blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports, grain shipments have stalled and more than 20 million tonnes […] Read more
U.S. EPA sets 2020-2022 biofuel mandates, denies refiners waivers
Reading Time: 2 minutes New York | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday issued biofuel blending mandates for 2022 and the prior two years — with this year’s number below one proposed in December — while denying oil refiners waivers to be exempt from the requirements. The EPA set biofuel blending mandates for 2022 at 20.63 […] Read more
Biden says U.S. baby formula shortage to ease in weeks
Shortage follows major Similac recall in February
Reading Time: 3 minutes Washington | Reuters — The U.S. baby formula shortage should improve dramatically in coming weeks, President Joe Biden and top officials said on Friday as the administration scrambled to reverse a shortfall that hits lower-income Americans particularly hard. The U.S. is working with manufacturers to allow more importation of baby formula, Biden told reporters in […] Read more
CEOs of four large U.S. meatpackers to testify in Congressional hearing
Beef prices up for consumers, down for ranchers
Reading Time: < 1 minute Washington | Reuters — The chief executives of U.S. meatpackers Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS and National Beef Packing have agreed to testify at a Congressional hearing discussing cattle markets and price increases for consumers, House agriculture committee chairman David Scott said Wednesday. “It is very important, very vital, and very urgent that we hear the […] Read more
USDA opens inquiry into fertilizer, seed prices
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is opening an inquiry into the impacts of concentration in the fertilizer, seed and retail markets. The inquiry stems from the Biden administration’s July 2021 executive order to promote competition across the U.S. economy, the agency said in a release Friday. Global supply chain problems and inflation have […] Read more
U.S. urges Canada to use federal powers to ease border protest disruption
Disruptions force automakers to reduce operations
Reading Time: 4 minutes Windsor/Washington | Reuters — Canada should use federal powers to ease the growing economic disruption caused by the blockage of a vital U.S.-Canada trade route by protesters opposed to coronavirus mandates, U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration said on Thursday. The closure of the Ambassador Bridge, North America’s busiest international land border crossing and a vital […] Read more
JBS reaches ‘icebreaker’ settlement of beef price-fixing claims
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — JBS has agreed to pay US$52.5 million to settle litigation accusing meatpacking companies of conspiring to limit supply in the $63 billion-a-year U.S. beef market in order to inflate prices and boost profit. The preliminary settlement by the Brazilian company and its U.S. units with so-called direct purchasers was disclosed on Tuesday, and […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, lean hogs dip on regulatory concerns
Biden proposal seen improving producers' cut of price
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Tuesday, pressured by new federal efforts to address a lack of competition in the U.S. meat processing sector. The initiative, announced by U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday, includes funding for more independent meat processors, strengthening enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act, […] Read more
Biden unveils plan to boost competition in U.S. meat industry
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — The United States will issue new rules and US$1 billion in funding this year to support independent meat processors and ranchers as part of a plan to address a lack of “meaningful competition” in the meat sector, President Joe Biden said Monday. The initiative comes amid rising concerns that a handful of big […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
