Asia Pacific | Attache Details Impacts of West Coast Port Lockout The U.S. ag...

Asia Pacific

Attache Details Impacts of West Coast Port Lockout
The U.S. ag attache in Hong Kong says the West Coast Port strike, which lasted over 10 days, hurt some U.S. export good sales more than others, but definitely reduced volume during that time.

 

EU Trade Commissioner Visits China
With billions of dollars in trade flowing between them, the European Union's trade commissioner met with his Chinese counterpart Thursday to discuss a ``loaded agenda' -- including a spat over both sides' banning of exported animal and food products.

 

Europe

 

WTO, Russia Hold Their Turf
Washington, Brussels and Moscow agree: The sooner Russia joins the World Trade Organization, the better.

 

Russia Bans Meat Imports from Southeastern Europe

Russia does not import meat from countries in southeastern Europe where cases of cattle disease have been reported, the Agriculture Ministry stated

 

Top EU official says end to biotech ban is inevitable
The Associated Press reports that several nations in the European Union continue to hold fast their opposition to allowing new biotech crops in the farming and food industries. However, a top EU official said an end to the ban was inevitable. During a meeting of EU farm ministers last week, member countries continued to disagreed on whether to allow the unintentional presence of up to 1 percent of biotech material in food before a warning label would be mandatory. The ministers also were split on the threshold for accidental presence of genetically engineered seed for planting. France, Italy, Denmark, Austria, Greece and Luxembourg, which have been instrumental in keeping the ban, did not change their position on a complete ban of biotech food products. But, EU Health and Consumer Affairs chief David Byrne said the views of the member states were relenting somewhat.'We are making progress step by step,' Byrne said. 'Inevitably there will be a lifting. When is not clear, but we made progress on the issue today.'

 

British beef heads for tasting at French trade fair
LONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - A batch of British beef leaves for France on Thursday to whet potential customers' appetites for the first time since the French government decided to end its ban on the product.

 

Irish Beef Protests Continue
IFA leader calls for beef rationalization plan to be put on hold until marketing strategy is agreed by industry.

 

Americas

 

Mexico to guard against "unfair" U.S. trade
MEXICO CITY, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Trade Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez said on Wednesday Mexico would protect itself against unfair trade practices when a treaty allowing tariff-free trade of most U.S. farm goods goes into effect on Jan. 1.

 

USA

 

Economist Encouraged By Improvement in Beef Exports
Kansas State University ag economist James Mintert says he is encouraged by the improvement in beef exports after slumping earlier this year.

 

Public Meeting To Address Codex Committee On Food Import And Export Inspection And Certification Systems Agenda
Potential agenda items for the 11th session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) meeting will be discussed at two public meetings, Oct. 22 and Nov. 20 in College Park, Md.

 

AMI speaks out on country-of-origin guidance
In two years, the USDA's guidance for implementing country-of-origin labeling on meat and other products sold in the United States will move from voluntary to mandatory. It could be the most costly, cumbersome and complex labeling proposal in history, according to American Meat Institute president J. Patrick Boyle. Boyle says consumers would likely never see the labels the USDA described because the program would be impossible to implement. In addition, the AMI says the guidelines likely will trigger the "fastest and most blistering complaints against the U.S. to the World Trade Organization that we have ever seen." The AMI also questioned the wisdom of such a costly program in the absence of any evidence that consumers want this labeling. The International Food Information Council conducted a survey, which 75 percent of the participants said there was no additional information needed on food labels.

 

USDA Initiates New Prepayment Option for Beef Checkoff
Move allows producers to direct state share of checkoff to their home state, rather than state where cattle are ultimately sold.