Given the importance and volatility of non-tariff trade barrier issues, the catalyst behind the reorganization was the need to have a central trade authority that can react quickly with input from across multiple agencies to resolve disputes.
The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing last week on the implementation progress of the 2014 Farm Bill. One of the topics discussed was the creation of a new undersecretary position. The enacted farm bill requires the secretary to propose a reorganization plan for USDA's international trade functions, in consultation with the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and House and Senate Appropriations Committees, and provide a report on the plan to the Congressional committees 180 days after...
Key Takeaways: Milk alone has not covered the full economic cost in any year since 2021: milk revenue fell short by $4.50, $2.15, $6.50, $1.27 and $2.34 per hundredweight in 2021 through 2025. Calf and cattle prices decided whether dairies cleared cost: cattle and other income lifted total rev...
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed with Capesize rates seeing solid gains while Panamax values slipped on a growing tonnage list. Supramax and Handysize vessels were stronger, though all sectors remain vulnerable to the seasonal dip in rates through Q4 and into Q1. Falling water l...
What You Need to Know Today: The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 3.75 to 4.0 percent Wednesday, with two officials dissenting in favor of a 25-basis-point increase. The Fed upgraded its assessment of economic growth from "solid" to "strong" but adopted a more patient approa...
