 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
News from the Minnesota Association of Wheat |
|||||||||
CHINA AND U.S. WHEAT EXPERTS PREPARE FOR OPENING MARKETS One Chinese team, led by Ms. Jian Huanluo, Deputy Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Grain Bureau, traveled to California, New
York, and Washington DC this week to learn more about the systems and policies of grain production, sales, purchasing and inspection in the U.S. Another Chinese team, made up of government grain officials and flour
milling experts, including Madam Zhao Yi Yi, the Senior Engineer from the China State Grain Administration, spent time at the Wheat Marketing Center in Oregon, conducting baking tests and evaluating the
performance U.S. wheat for Chinese steamed bread. If Congress approves the permanent status for China, U.S. wheat exports could increase as much as 10 percent. Next week, U.S. Wheat Associates experts are traveling
to China, and will be meeting with flour milling industry representatives and public officials in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. USW vice president Paul Dickerson will be explaining the U.S.
wheat market system. "China is on the cusp of economic and agricultural changes that will benefit both of our countries, and the U.S. wheat industry must be first in line when that door opens," Dickerson
pointed out. "We have to develop the wheat market now, and the best way we can do that is to meet and exchange information." U.S. WHEAT ASSOCIATES
FIRST COMMERCIAL U.S. WHEAT SALE TO SUDAN SINCE SANCTIONS EASED Due to the absence of U.S. wheat over the last ten years, Australia and Canada have become the top suppliers of wheat to Sudan. "With the U.S. trade sanctions in Sudan, millers and buyers
had very little familiarity with the U.S. marketing system or U.S. wheat classes," reports Dick Prior, USW vice president for the Middle East and East Africa. "This is a potentially important market for us,
and the U.S. wheat industry has worked hard to reestablish ties with Sudanese millers."
ASIAN COUNTRIES TIGHTEN UP ON GM IMPORTS In Japan, the voluntary GM food safety assessment scheme has become mandatory. The change was recommended
by the Food Sanitation Investigation Council, an advisory panel to the Minister for Health and Welfare. Under the old assessment system, importers of GM foods voluntarily underwent examination and evaluation
for the safety of such foods by following nonbinding MHW guidelines. The new assessment system, however, legally requires all importers to have their GM foods examined under the Food Sanitation Law's standards for
foods and additives. Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare recently announced that they will propose a bill to enforce a mandatory inspection and monitoring of GM grains effective April 2001. Under the new law, if
enacted, grain importers would face severe penalties including fine, imprisonment and rejection of cargoes if unapproved GM varieties were found.
DISCOVERY OF GENE COULD DOUBLE CANOLA SEED YIELDS In the April 14th issue of Nature, the researchers report the identification of two genes in Arabidopsis that, when inactivated, prevent this weed
from shattering its seed-containing pods. Finish the article at Export-oriented flour mills in the UAE, Oman, and Qatar enjoy a freight advantage to nearby major markets and also offer flexible shipment schedules that are
increasingly important to private importers in Africa, Indonesia, Iran, and Sri Lanka. Those expanding flour shipments come at the expense of the European Union, whose flour licenses have dropped by about a third from
the record 6 million tons (in grain equivalent) of just 2 years ago.
U.S.–CANADA BORDER DISPUTES IN GRAINS: DYNAMIC
INTERFACE BETWEEN THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT AND TRADE REMEDY LAWS Even though Canadian exports of wheat and barley are not found to have violated U.S. trade remedy laws, friction seems likely to continue as long as the surge in Canadian
exports remains unabated. Gradual harmonization of trade policies, farm subsidy programs, and marketing institutions may reduce trade disputes between the two countries in the future. To diffuse the
threat of future trade disputes, a Canada - U.S. joint research team should be formed to deal with the matter through better understanding for causes of the disputes. Read more at |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||