Trade and the potential issues it brings were the main themes of the annual 2020 Ag Outlook Forum which was organized by the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and Washington, DC, US-based Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.
The event was hosted in person and by virtual attendees. And about 300 farmer leaders from the region took part in the event.
Some of the presenters included Esther George, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City; Tom Vilsack, former US secretary of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and president and CEO of the US Dairy Export Council; and Rob Johansson, chief economist for the USDA.
With the possibility of trade deals falling short, Gregg Doud, chief agricultural negotiator at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), spoke about probability of China meeting its phase one trade commitment with the United States and implementation challenges that USMCA is facing.
Doud said he is watching the implementation of USMCA, particularly the situation with dairy in Canada. Another important focus will be the biotechnology situation with Mexico. Two key issues included in the USMCA deal are the biotechnology component and the enforcement mechanism.
He emphasized the new enforcement mechanism is something he believes the United States will really be able to “utilize in a fashion much more quickly than we had previously been able to use.”
“We will not hesitate to use enforcement tools we have in USMCA, if necessary,” Doud said.
Another panel highlighted trade issues and how Americans are drawing a less of a parallel between trade and a successful US economy. Find more here.
Source: Online/SZK
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