Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Texas Representative Mike Conaway, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, are in Texas this week to survey hurricane damage. The two are visiting the Houston area to survey agricultural damage from Hurricane Harvey. Damages from Hurricane Harvey are estimated to cost Texas agriculture billions of dollars from losses to crops and livestock. The area declared as a disaster by Texas Governor Greg Abbott contains about 1.2 million cattle, which is roughly 27 percent of the state’s cowherd. The losses from Harvey will reduce the state’s expected two million bale cotton harvest by as much as 400,000 bales. Perdue and Conaway will also make a stop at the Houston Food Bank on Thursday. Friday, the duo will travel to West Texas where the two will address the Southwest Council of Agribusiness, which is holding its annual meeting in Lamesa, Texas.

The third round of formal negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement gets underway next week in Canada. Round three of the talks are planned in Ottaway September 23rd through September 27th. The meeting follows the first set of talks in Washington, D.C., and the second round of talks held in Mexico City, Mexico earlier this month. However, rounds one and two were largely uneventful with little resolution on major trade issues between the NAFTA partners, and there’s a hinting from the administration that a deal may not be reached. Any negative trade impacts to agriculture would be significant. Mexico exports $23 billion of agricultural products to the U.S., while Canada exports $22 billion. Canada and Mexico are top markets for U.S. agricultural products, as well. Corn exports to Mexico alone are worth an estimated $2.6 billion, while soybean exports to Mexico from the U.S. are worth an estimated $1.5 billion. For exports to Canada, it’s estimated that the U.S. exports $4.8 billion worth of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables.

A recent study by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization says cattle raised for beef production play a key role in maintaining a sustainable food system. Meat industry publication Meatingplace reports that the research essentially counters claims that beef production consumes too much human-edible feed, finding that cattle are net contributors to the global protein supply, and concludes that “modest yield improvements” can reduce further land expansion for feed production. The research shows that 86 percent of the feed cattle consume is grasses grown on marginal lands, not edible to humans. The study says: “Livestock play, and will continue to play, a critical role in adding value to these residual products, a large share of which could otherwise be an environmental burden.”

Data from the Department of Agriculture shows exports of farm goods will push higher in 2017. A forecast compiled by USDA predicts the value of agricultural exports in fiscal year 2017 will hit nearly $140 billion, up $10 billion from fiscal year 2016. With stronger exports and modest import increases in 2017, the U.S. will have an agricultural trade surplus of roughly $23 billion compared to $7 billion last year. USDA says the increase reflects the improvement in the global economy, and it represents a lower value for the U.S. dollar to make a better deal for foreign buyers to purchase U.S. agricultural products, according to Farm Journal’s AgWeb. The initial fiscal year 2018 forecast shows exports will reach $139 billion, slightly lower than the current level.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said this week that negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement are moving at “warp speed,” but may lead to no agreement. Lighthizer said: “we don’t know whether we’re going to get to a conclusion. That’s the problem. We’re running very quickly somewhere.” Lighthizer says the U.S. would like to reach an agreement and conclude the negotiations with Canada and Mexico by the end of this year. He refused to answer any questions about whether the administration planned to propose a “sunset” provision to automatically terminate NAFTA after five years, unless countries agree to extend, according to Politico. Lighthizer made the comments during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He also commented on China, calling the nation an “unprecedented” threat because of policies that subsidize domestic production, create national champions, force technology transfers and distort markets.

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.