Ag News: U.S.-Canada Trade Deal
**In the eleventh hour, literally, the U.S. and Canada reach agreement on a trade deal that keeps Canada in a pact with the U.S. and Mexico. The announcement came late Sunday night just an hour before the White House-imposed deadline.
As CBS News reports, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and his Canadian counterpart say the agreement, called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement will give our workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses a high-standard trade agreement that will bring freer markets, fairer trade and robust economic growth.
Perhaps the biggest sticking point, the agreement gives U.S. farmers greater access to the Canadian dairy market.
**The USDA intends to reopen the rulemaking process known as “Farmer Fair Practices Rules,” the Department of Justice announced last week.
According to agweb.com, during arguments in a lawsuit filed by the Organization for Competitive Markets, attorneys said USDA will put on its spring regulatory agenda the rulemaking process for Farmer Fair Practices, formerly known as the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
**The FDA is moving forward with possible changes that could prevent plant-based products from using traditional dairy names.
Agri-Pulse reports, the move is welcome news for dairy advocates who’ve been calling for such action for years, but retailers of plant-based beverages are likely to legal action if forced to change the labeling of their products.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb says his agency was taking the action to address nutritional differences.