USDA

Taiwanese officials this week signed letters of intent to purchase almost $3 billion worth of U.S. soybeans, corn and wheat during a trade mission that also involved talks with U.S. officials about the prospects for a bilateral free trade agreement, as well as issues with U.S. pork imports.

The first priority, they write, is to “get off the sidelines and get back in the business of negotiating trade agreements.”

“It's really hard to prepare if you are trying to be productive at the table but you're afraid your partner will walk away.”

“The challenge is he's looking at the trade deficit that's occurred after NAFTA, primarily in autos and auto parts. How do you reconcile those two?”

The move followed an Aug. 11 U.S. notification to the World Organization for Animal Health “that it is now free of HPAI.”

“Ensure that as you advance U.S. interests, domestic agricultural producers are not subjected to retaliatory tariffs, which has happened in the past.”

Japan's plan to trigger a frozen beef import safeguard -- which would bump tariffs on U.S. imports from 38.5 percent to 50 percent -- has alarmed Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and the U.S. beef industry.

“Cotinued access on the terms that were negotiated in the KORUS is essential to the future health of the U.S. beef industry.”

Poultry is “often part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, and our farmers would very much like to be able to offer their products during that time.”