USTR-USDA Evaluate Mexican Amendments and Chlorpyrifos in Court
**The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office and the USDA are evaluating proposed amendments to Mexico’s decree to ban the use and purchase of biotech commodities.
In a joint statement, USTR Katherine Tai and Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack say, “We agreed to review their proposal closely and follow up with questions or concerns in short order.”
The two officials met with a delegation of senior Mexican Government officials in Washington, D.C. late last week.
**A total of 20 ag groups argued before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., about chlorpyrifos, asking the court to reinstate chlorpyrifos tolerances that the EPA has found safe.
The groups say EPA revoked the safety tolerances despite finding on multiple occasions that at least 11 high-benefit crop uses could be safely maintained.
This has inflicted enormous costs for American farmers, undermining their ability to protect their crops from potentially devastating insect pests.
**The USDA mailed the 2022 Census of Agriculture paper questionnaires to all known ag producers across the nation and Puerto Rico.
U.S. producers received their survey codes last month with an invitation to respond online.
Any producer who has yet to respond online now has the option to complete the ag census at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.
The deadline for response is February 6th.