2022 Weather Disasters & Proposed “Product of USA” Labels

**2022 will go down as the third-costliest year for weather disasters in U.S. history with estimated total economic losses of $165 billion.

And, new analysis by American Farm Bureau economists shows extreme weather caused more than $21 billion in crop losses, $11 billion of which were covered by existing Risk Management Agency programs.

The impact on American farms and ranches demonstrates the importance of farm bill programs to help rural communities recover from weather-related disasters.

**The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office requested technical consultations with the Government of Mexico, under the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement, to talk about Mexico’s ban on genetically modified corn.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says, these consultations represent the next step in addressing our concerns with Mexico’s biotechnology policies, adding, we remain firm in our view that Mexico’s current biotechnology trajectory is not grounded in science, which is the foundation of USMCA.

**The USDA released a proposed rule with new regulatory requirements to the voluntary “Product of USA” label claim.

The proposal allows “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” labels on meat, poultry and egg products only when they are derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the U.S.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says these changes are intended to provide consumers with accurate information to make informed purchase decisions.