Reading Time: 2 minutes The U.S. oil and corn industries will continue a long-running public battle over America’s biofuels policy on Tuesday during a Congressional hearing about the Trump administration’s use of “secret waivers” for refineries. The hearing set by the Energy and Commerce Committee will air out the grievances of two key political constituencies heading into next year’s […] Read more
Oil vs Corn: U.S. lawmakers set hearing on fractious biofuels policy
Trump administration proposes plan to raise biofuels use, EPA says
Reading Time: 2 minutes New York | Reuters — The Trump administration, in an effort to mend fences with the powerful U.S. corn lobby, proposed a new formula on Tuesday to boost biofuels demand — but the proposal instead only provoked more consternation from the industry. Corn and soybean farmers have been angered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s […] Read more
Trump’s hailing of Chinese farm purchases seen as ‘meaningless’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Beijing | Reuters — China is still a long way from forking out US$50 billion for farm goods from the United States, agriculture industry analysts said on Monday, cautioning that getting there is contingent on removing substantial technical and political hurdles. Outlining the first phase of a deal to end a trade war with China, […] Read more
U.S. farmers cheered by apparent trade truce
Reading Time: 3 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. farmers cheered the Trump administration’s announcement of a potentially dramatic increase in U.S. agricultural sales to China on Friday but warned they needed to see a follow-through of actual purchases. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the agricultural purchases could scale up to $40 billion-$50 billion annually as part of a […] Read more
U.S. agriculture official calls trade tensions with China ‘new normal’
Reading Time: 2 minutes Buenos Aires | Reuters — The United States and China are still in the early stages of their trade war and tensions that arise from it should be considered the “new normal,” a U.S. Department of Agriculture official said on Wednesday. Washington has tried to hold China accountable for its trade practices and not sought […] Read more
U.S., Japan sign limited trade deal
Reading Time: 3 minutes New York | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed a limited trade deal on Wednesday that cuts tariffs on U.S. farm goods, Japanese machine tools and other products while further staving off the threat of higher U.S. car duties. Trump said the deal would open up Japanese markets […] Read more
Trump says impeachment inquiry could derail North America trade deal
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington/Mexico City | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that an impeachment inquiry against him could derail congressional approval of a North America trade pact, dragging down Mexico’s peso and stock market as investors fled riskier assets. While U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said he was confident the U.S-Mexico-Canada trade agreement would […] Read more
Trump questions request for Chinese delay on farm trip
Reading Time: 2 minutes United Nations | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday questioned a decision by his top trade negotiators to ask Chinese officials to delay a planned trip to U.S. farming regions after trade talks last week, saying he wanted China to buy more U.S. farm products. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters at […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans down on China trade pessimism
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell more than one per cent on Friday to the lowest in a week on rising doubts about a breakthrough in U.S.-China trade talks and forecasts for favourable crop weather across the U.S. Midwest. Corn and wheat also declined, following soybeans, although both grains closed with modest weekly […] Read more
Hopes for trade breakthrough fade as China cancels U.S. farm visits
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — A U.S.-China trade deal appeared elusive on Friday after Chinese officials unexpectedly canceled a visit to farms in Montana and Nebraska amid two days of ongoing talks in Washington. Chinese officials were expected to visit U.S. farmers next week as a goodwill gesture, but canceled to return to China sooner than […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
