Tractor and combine sales increased in June. A monthly report by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers shows the sale of all tractors in the U.S. in June were up 12 percent compared to the same month last year. For the six months in 2018, a total of 123,300 tractors were sold which compares to 115,700 sold thru June 2017, representing a seven percent increase for the year. For the month, two-wheel drive smaller tractors under 40 horsepower were up 15 percent from last year, while 40 and under 100 horsepower tractor sales were up four percent. Meanwhile, sales of two-wheel drive 100-plus horsepower tractors were up 16 percent, while four-wheel drive tractors were up 23 percent. Combine sales were up four percent for the month. Sales of combines for the year total 2,011 compared to 1,669 in 2017, a 21 percent increase.

In retaliating against trade tariffs, the European Union is doubling down on American Whiskey. EU trade chief Cecilia Malmström shut down a request to remove U.S. whiskey from the tariff list as fear the move would place further retaliation from the U.S. on Scotch whiskey. In making the statement, Politico reports Malmström intends to hit the U.S. “where it hurts,” which includes agriculture. The trade official says the list created by the EU was “drafted on the basis of several parameters, including its capacity to induce policy change in the United States.” Malmström says its “well known” that the U.S. agriculture sector is one of the “few groups with political clout to bring about change in Washington,” adding “it’s no coincidence” that the EU, Mexico and Canada are targeting U.S. agriculture products in retaliation to the Trump steel and aluminum tariffs.

The U.S. plans to implement more tariffs on China as part of an ongoing trade war between the two countries. In a statement released this week, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer says he was ordered by President Trump to begin the process of imposing tariffs of ten percent on an additional $200 billion of Chinese imports. The tariffs will follow the 25 percent tariffs implemented last week on approximately $34 billion worth of Chinese imports and will eventually cover up to $50 billion in Chinese imports. The latest action from the Trump administration was attributed to China’s retaliation of imposing tariffs on $34 billion in U.S. exports to China, and threatening tariffs on another $16 billion. Lighthizer claims China retaliated “without any international legal basis or justification.” An administration official told reporters this week the administration would “listen to farmers complaints” at a hearing next month on the tariffs, but added that farmers are “aware Trump’s trade initiatives would help them in the long run.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released internal guidance on changes made to farm labor housing eligibility. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 amended a section of the Housing Act of 1949 to extend the Farm Labor Housing tenant eligibility to agricultural workers legally admitted into the United States and authorized to work in agriculture. Due to this change, domestic laborers legally admitted into the country under an H-2A work visa are now eligible for state-inspected housing. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says finding adequate housing for temporary agriculture workers has always been a challenge faced by our producers. “The seasonal workers coming to the United States do tremendous work for American agriculture,” Perdue says. “I’m pleased that USDA programs can now better assist farmers needing to provide housing while they’re here. I thank Congress for addressing this issue in its most recent funding bill and hope to continue the conversation on farm labor for the agriculture industry.”

A trial is underway this week in California as witnesses will begin to testify in the first case alleging that Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer causes cancer. Politico says Lee Johnson, a groundskeeper for a California school district, alleges that years of spraying hundreds of gallons of the product caused him to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer. Opening statements took place on Monday. This case is a separate one from a class-action suit that involves more than 300 plaintiffs who argue that their exposure to Monsanto’s weed killer caused them to also develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. That case is waiting on a judge’s evidentiary decision that could determine if the case will proceed. The Johnson case is taking place on its own because attorneys feared he would die before the proceedings could begin. While the jury’s decision won’t have any effect on the class-action suit, it will likely be a bellwether for other future proceedings. Monsanto says in court filings that glyphosate has been deemed safe by “every major regulatory agency.” The company notes that cancers “take many years to form,” and says Johnson wasn’t exposed to Roundup long enough to make a connection between the product and his diagnosis.

President Donald Trump told Fox News he’s not going to rush into a new North American Free Trade Agreement. He thinks the U.S. can get a better deal by waiting until after the dust settles on the midterm elections in the fall. Agriculture groups fall on the other end of the spectrum, wanting a deal done as quickly as possible, which would help to get rid of tariffs currently in place. The president spoke with Fox News on Sunday, saying he’s focused on trade. “Every country is calling every day, saying ‘let’s make a deal, let’s make a deal,’” says the president. “It’s all going to work out.” Canada and Mexico would also like to get a deal in place much quicker than after the fall U.S. elections. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office confirms that he spoke on the phone with new Mexican President Lopez Obrador about a “mutually beneficial economic and trading relationship between their two countries.” While President Trump is content to wait, tariffs assessed by all three NAFTA nations are in full effect. Retaliatory tariffs between China and the U.S. are also in place and continue to put a strain on American agriculture.