Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said this week he hopes the U.S. will rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement that is worth billions of dollars for U.S. agriculture. Japan is continuing to push to finalize TPP, following Donald Trump removing the U.S. from the agreement. The 11 remaining members have started discussions on how to proceed. Prime Minister Abe told CNBC this week “Japan must now take on a leadership role and bring the talks forward,” because of the U.S. dropout from the agreement. The prime minister added that “momentum” should not be lost, but he left the door open for a U.S. return to the deal. He says: “Since the U.S. understands the importance of having free and fair rules in the trading world, it is our wish that the U.S. will return to TPP.”

Senate Agriculture Committee leaders want the Department of Agriculture to address a dairy pricing issue between the U.S. and Canada. Senators Pat Roberts and Debbie Stabenow are pressing USDA and the U.S. Trade Representative’s office to provide continued engagement with Canada over its dairy pricing policies that are harmful to U.S. dairy producers. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, the Senators say: “The potential for further and greater injury to U.S. producers will only continue to grow if this scheme remains in place.” The Senators also asked USDA and the USTR office to evaluate all tools available to mitigate any damaging effect from the pricing scheme being implemented by Canada.

Officials from Mexico visiting Washington, D.C. this week are sporting a clear message that a revamped North American Free Trade Agreement will not include any new tariffs or quotas. The group from Mexico hopes to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer later this week to start the first talks of renegotiation, which they say is expected to happen quickly. Mexico’s Economy Secretary told Politico: “Nobody wants this agreement, this negotiation, to extend for too long because then it will get in the middle of the Mexican presidential election and the U.S. congressional election.” A speedy renegotiation would minimize chances of Mexico from rejecting any agreement, if the negotiators can finish the process by the July 2018 presidential election in Mexico. A graphic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows the 1994 NAFTA agreement represented a $4 billion increase in agricultural exports.

Cargill expects international grain markets to remain oversupplied. The company’s CEO told Reuters recently that the oversupply will remain “for a long time” due to bountiful harvests and an increase of crops in storage. Global corn, wheat and soybean inventories have increased over the last four years in the longest stretch of gains since the late 1990s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, world grain and oilseed stocks are up 48 percent since 2012, compared with production growth of 18 percent and consumption growth of 17 percent over the same period. Cargill CEO David MacLennan added: “I don’t see the clearing of excess supply or much volatility to up commodity and grain prices in the near future.”

With U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s swearing-in Monday, a group of trade officials from Mexico plan to travel to the U.S. to begin working on trade issues between the two countries. U.S. News and World Report says Luis Videgaray, Mexico’s Foreign Minister, will travel with other high ranking officials from Mexico to the U.S. as the two countries seek to end a dispute over sugar exports and prepare for talks over renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Mexico’s Foreign Minister said last week of the vote to confirm Lighthizer: “For us, it’s good news that the process is closer to starting.” He says Mexico is ready to enter “a serious negotiation” with the United States.

The White House is close to announcing nominees for political appointments within the Department of Agriculture, as reported by Agri-Pulse. Rumored for the number two spot at USDA, Steve Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association, is expected to be nominated for the USDA deputy secretary position. Current Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey is expected to receive the nominee for a nearly created post as undersecretary for farm production and conservation. Northey said on Facebook: “I love my job as Iowa secretary of agriculture and I am anxious to support the President, Secretary Perdue and USDA’s mission in whatever role I am in — either within USDA or outside.” Indiana Agriculture Department Director Ted McKinney is expected to be nominated as undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs. Finally, Sam Clovis, who has served on the USDA transition team is being considered as the next undersecretary for research, education, and economics.

The Environmental Protection Agency has sent Renewable Fuel Standard volume obligations to the White House Office of Management and Budget. The White House is expected to complete its review of the proposed rule within the next 90 days for the 2018 RVO’s and the Biomass Based Diesel Volume for 2019, according to DTN-Progressive Farmer. The deadline for the final rule is November 30th. Last year, the EPA proposal called for 14.8 billion gallons of corn ethanol, just shy of the 15 billion gallon target set by Congress. The total RVO was finalized at 19.28 billion gallons. That included 4.28 billion gallons of advanced biofuel and 311 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel. That means the implied RVO for conventional biofuels including corn ethanol was set at 15 billion gallons.