Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer highlighted the need to address trade barriers between the U.S. and Taiwan last week. During a meeting with Thailand’s Minister of Commerce, Lighthizer said Thailand needs to address the “longstanding trade barriers,” including those on U.S. meat and other agriculture exports, according to Politico. Total exports of U.S. agricultural products to Thailand totaled $1.6 billion in 2016, the 15th largest agricultural export market. Overall, the United States is Thailand’s third largest source of imports, after China and Japan. Top U.S. ag exports to Thailand include soybeans, cotton, soybean meal, wheat and dried distillers grains. Lighthizer also highlighted the need for progress on customs, goods, worker rights, and other issues discussed during the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement meeting in July.

A group of Midwestern Senators is urging U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to respond to Brazil’s 20 percent ethanol tariff on imports over 600 million liters, or 158 million gallons. Brazil recently reinstated the tariff that will apply to U.S. ethanol exports to Brazil. In 2016, the U.S. exported 264 million gallons of ethanol to Brazil and is poised for an increase this year as the U.S. is the primary ethanol exporter to Brazil. U.S. ethanol producers called Brazil’s tariff plan “a trade barrier that threatens over $750 million in U.S. exports and American jobs.” Led by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a letter asked Lighthizer to “directly engage the Brazilian government and quickly work to resolve” the issue. The letter included Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse, Illinois Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, Minnesota Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, along with Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow and Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly.

A potential counterproposal by Mexico could limit pork leg imports from the United States under the North American Free Trade Agreement. As renegotiation efforts continue, Mexico may counter a proposal U.S. trade officials are considering that would give seasonal fruit and vegetable farmers added protection, according to Reuters. The U.S. is considering a proposal to protect certain products by making it easier for U.S. seasonal produce growers to launch anti-dumping cases against Mexico. Pork leg exports from the U.S. to Mexico account for the bulk of exports and are used in some of Mexico’s most popular dishes. Some Mexican agricultural leaders have said that dairy and chicken could also be deemed sensitive, though those products have not been mentioned by those included in the trade talks.

The Arkansas Plant Board took up a recommendation for a window on dicamba use in the state from January 1 to April 15 in 2018. There are still several steps to go through before the recommendation is approved, including votes from the full Plant Board, the Arkansas Governor, and the State Legislative Council. State officials put together a Dicamba Task Force, which recommended the ban. The recommendation will be considered by the full Plant Board when it meets on September 21 at 1:30. Shawn Peebles, an organic farmer and member of the Task Force, says, “We didn’t recommend a ban forever, but a ban for the 2018 crop to perform more testing. We expect to see more university testing next year.” Peebles says the Task Force will evaluate the 2018 findings to determine the best course of action for 2019. Monsanto, maker of XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology, calls the move a step in the wrong direction. “We saw 25 million acres of dicamba tolerant crops that show dicamba can be used safely and effectively,” says Scott Partridge, vice president of global strategy at Monsanto. The proposal could affect chemical sales for the company, as well as seed sales since in-season dicamba use is one of the primary benefits of the Xtend technology.

As the next round of negotiations regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement approach, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is considering submitting a “sunset” proposal. That’s a provision that would automatically cancel the deal five years after approval if the three countries don’t agree to renew it. The USTR began circulating the idea among federal agencies last week in anticipation of tabling the text during the third round of negotiations that start next weekend in Ottawa. At least two agencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the State Department objected to the idea. A USDA official sent an email to the USTR office, saying, “Termination of NAFTA would be devastating for the U.S. agricultural economy and making such a termination automatic greatly increases the likelihood.” A source who had seen the email told Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report that the same USDA official said one of the biggest benefits of trade agreements are their certainty and “a sunset provision removes any such certainty and will significantly damage investment and trade.”

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue announced on Wednesday that the USDA will put special procedures in place to assist producers who lost crops or livestock or had other damage to their operation because of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. USDA will also provide loan flexibility to assist farm loan borrowers because the damage was so widespread and severe. Perdue said the impact will be felt for many months down the road. “In addition to on-the-ground efforts to assist producers,” he says, “we’ve adjusted our regular reporting requirements so producers can take care of pressing needs first and deal with paperwork and claims later.” The USDA Farm Service Agency is authorizing emergency procedures on a case-by-case basis for crop and livestock producers in the affected counties. Farm-loan borrowers who’ve received primary loan servicing applications may be eligible for a 60-day extension. USDA also lengthened deadlines for many of their programs, including the Marketing Assistance Loan Program and the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program. The deadlines to file a loss under the Livestock Indemnity Program and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program are also extended. Farmers are encouraged to carefully document their losses from the storms.

China is planning to use ethanol to help draw-down the nations corn stocks, improve corn demand and clean up smog in cities. Reuters says China plans to roll out the use of ethanol in gasoline nationally by 2020, pushing for an E10, or 10 percent ethanol blend, across what is the world’s largest car market. China has not formally announced the plan, but the intentions are boosting confidence in China’s corn industry. The news comes after the government said late last year it would aim to double ethanol output by 2020 to decrease the amount of corn in storage. China has built up state corn reserves estimated at 200 million metric tons, equivalent to a year of demand. According to sources in China, the government aims to build an ethanol production base in the country’s northeast, the main corn growing region.

The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on nominees to the Department of Agriculture next week. Committee leaders, Chairman Pat Roberts, and ranking minority member Debbie Stabenow announced plans to hold the hearing for Ted McKinney and Stephen Censky Tuesday, September 19th. Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association, was nominated by President Trump to serve as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. McKinney, Indiana Agriculture Director, was nominated to be the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. Hearings for other nominees to top USDA posts, Including Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey as the Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Greg Ibach as Undersecretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, and Stephen Vaden as USDA’s general counsel, remain to be scheduled.