Europe
EU meat tax proposed
The Swedish government is pushing for a meat tax to help curb the environmental impact of meat production, but officials don’t want to stop there. They would like to see the meat tax enacted throughout all of the European Union.
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USDA, USTR ask Russia to suspend new testing for meat
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk have issued a statement in response to Russia's new requirements that U.S. beef and pork exports to Russia be tested and certified free of the feed additive ractopamine.
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U.S. trade deal could be a lot for Europe to swallow
Can Europeans, who have balked for years at many U.S. food imports, accept a free-trade agreement with the United States that opens the door for imports of genetically modified crops and chickens cleaned with chlorine?
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U.S. Senate nears vote on Russia trade, rights bill
The U.S. Senate is expected to approve a bill this week to upgrade trade relations with Russia and to penalize Russian human rights violators, sending it to President Barack Obama to sign into law, congressional aides said on Tuesday.
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USDA trade mission aims to create opportunities for U.S. ag
The USDA has announced that Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Michael Scuse will lead a mission to promote U.S. agricultural exports to Russia, Dec. 3-7.
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U.S.-EU trade deal must address trade barriers
In a letter signed by 60 organizations sent last week to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, a coalition of U.S. food and agricultural organizations said it is important that any free-trade agreement (FTA) with the EU address impediments to trade in agricultural products.
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Ag coalition says U.S./EU FTA must include agriculture
While maintaining its support for a free-trade agreement (FTA) between the United States and the European Union, a coalition of U.S. food and agricultural organizations led by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) reiterated that any deal must include agriculture and that the EU must address non-tariff trade barriers.
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EU trade chief calls on Mexico to reopen trade pact with Europe
Europe and Mexico need to go back to the negotiating table to rework their 12-year-old free-trade agreement to include services and agriculture, the European Union's top trade official said on Monday.
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September beef exports fall, pork remains steady
U.S. pork exports in September were steady with last year’s volume, while beef exports were well below a year ago. Despite sluggish volumes, however, the value of both pork and beef exports through the third quarter of 2012 remains ahead of last year’s record-setting pace.
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Brumm Speaks Out: Eurotier Exposition in Germany
Last week I flew to Hannover, Germany. Eurotier, the world’s largest livestock trade show, is held there on alternate years. Early attendance estimates are 160,000 for the 3-day show.
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EU 2013 budget talks end in failure
Talks on the European Union's 2013 budget collapsed in acrimony on Friday, denting hopes of a swift deal later this month on the bigger issue of the bloc's long-term spending for 2014-2020.
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