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The Trump Administration Can Prevent the Threat of Wheat Export Losses Under CPTPP

ARLINGTON, Virginia — Implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) without the United States is a time bomb set to demolish more than 60 years of hard work by multiple generations of U.S. farm families to develop a large and loyal market for U.S. wheat in Japan. The U.S. government has the power, however, to defuse this device and avoid an unnecessary and costly disaster.

Today, Japan became the second country to ratify the CPTPP, which could be implemented in early 2019 after six of the 11 countries that signed the agreement have ratified it. This development comes on the same day the United States and China escalated a trade war that has already imposed harm on U.S. wheat growers, potentially compounding the difficult economic conditions further. Canada and Australia, which are major competitors to the United States in the Japanese wheat market, are also parties to the agreement, meaning implementation would put U.S. wheat farmers at a severe disadvantage in our second biggest wheat market.

Once implemented, the agreement calls for incrementally discounting the effective import tariffs that Japanese flour millers pay for imported Australian and Canadian milling wheat from about $150 to about $85 per metric ton (MT). Imported U.S. wheat effective tariffs would remain at about $150 per MT.

Sources within the Japanese milling industry estimate this disadvantage would force them to start looking at alternatives to U.S. wheat and cut average total imports of western white, dark northern spring (DNS) and hard red winter (HRW) wheat by more than half — from about 3.1 million metric tons (MMT) per year to 1.35 MMT per year or less. If nothing changes before the effective tariff schedule is fully implemented, U.S. wheat farmers and the U.S. grain trade will essentially be writing a $500 million check every year to Australian and Canadian farmers.

U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers call on the Trump Administration to end this threat by taking the bold but necessary steps toward joining the CPTPP or engaging in bilateral negotiations. We see no other way to stop a situation that we believe will cut already unprofitable cash wheat prices even further.

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About U.S. Wheat Associates
USW’s mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers.” USW activities in more than 100 countries are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. For more information, visit our website at www.uswheat.org.

About NAWG
NAWG is the primary representative in Washington D.C. for wheat growers, working to ensure a better future for America’s growers, the industry and the general public. NAWG works with a team of 20 state wheat grower organizations to benefit the wheat industry at state and national levels. From their offices in the Wheat Growers Building on Capitol Hill, NAWG’s staff members are in constant contact with state association representatives, NAWG grower leaders, Members of Congress, Congressional staff members and the public.

Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
In all of its programs, activities and employment, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USW at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S., 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, USW, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. USW is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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Trade Conflict with China Already Hurting U.S. Farm Families

From March to June over the past three years, Chinese flour milling companies and their importers purchased an average of about 20 million bushels of U.S. wheat, returning well over $145 million to American farm families and grain handlers. Not in 2018, however. Unable to accept the risk of escalating import prices, Chinese customers stopped making new purchases of U.S. wheat last March, after the Chinese government threatened a 25 percent import tariff on U.S. wheat in retaliation to the threat of U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports.

Today, damage to the livelihood of America’s hard-working farm families is no longer just a threat. The exchange of punitive tariffs between Washington and Beijing today represents the next phase of what could be a long and difficult struggle that will likely inflict more pain before we reach an unknown resolution.

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW), the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and the growers we represent reaffirm our position that unfair Chinese government policies create unnecessary trade distortions that hurt U.S. farmers and other industries. We urged the U.S. government to challenge China’s domestic price support and tariff rate quota compliance that led to cases disputing these policies within the World Trade Organization (WTO). These cases served notice to China and our trading partners that the United States was willing to lead a legitimate effort to enforce existing trade rules — by following those rules.

China did not stop importing U.S. wheat in response to these cases, in part because Chinese demand for our high-quality wheat crops is rapidly growing. The unilateral decision to impose tariffs, however, has already had a direct, damaging effect on U.S. wheat growers.

Wheat growers can only hope that the United States and China will stop trading salvos and we call on both governments to come to a resolution quickly. Farmers are eager to move past this dispute and start trading wheat and other agricultural products again soon.

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About U.S. Wheat Associates
USW’s mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers.” USW activities in more than 100 countries are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. For more information, visit our website at www.uswheat.org.

About NAWG
NAWG is the primary representative in Washington D.C. for wheat growers, working to ensure a better future for America’s growers, the industry and the general public. NAWG works with a team of 20 state wheat grower organizations to benefit the wheat industry at state and national levels. From their offices in the Wheat Growers Building on Capitol Hill, NAWG’s staff members are in constant contact with state association representatives, NAWG grower leaders, Members of Congress, Congressional staff members and the public.

Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
In all of its programs, activities and employment, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USW at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S., 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, USW, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. USW is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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U.S. Wheat Associates: The Only Threat from Auto Imports is Retaliation from Trading Partners

ARLINGTON, Virginia — In response to a U.S. Department of Commerce Section 232 investigation into auto and auto parts imports, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) once again expressed concern about using questionable national security arguments as a basis for import restrictions and the potential for retaliation from trading partners.

In comments on the investigation submitted June 22, 2018, USW strongly encouraged the Commerce Department to “stick to serious national security concerns when using Section 232 and avoid making this process even more ridiculous than it has become after the steel and aluminum investigations.”

Before any restrictions on auto and parts imports are taken under Section 232, USW said Commerce “should consider the fallout if other countries follow suit and impose restrictions on U.S. wheat or other products as a result of their own national security concerns, whether real or imagined.”

As a representative of U.S. wheat farm families who rely on export demand to boost their income potential, USW was among the first agricultural organizations to publicly oppose the use of Section 232 to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Farmers have already been hit hard by tariffs on hundreds of food and agricultural products in retaliation for recent unilateral trade actions and much more is expected soon.

While the reactions of countries to U.S. steel and aluminum protectionism has been negative for farmers, USW said the case of automobiles is much more dangerous because the dollar figures are so much larger.

“Automotive imports in 2017 were about ten times larger than steel imports and much of this came from significant wheat importers like Mexico, Japan, South Korea and the European Union,” USW said in its comments. “The chances that U.S. wheat farmers will face retaliation increases substantially if the final measures reflect the scope of the investigation.”

USW also argues that invalid use of the national security exemption created in Section 232 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade undermines effective global trading rules.

“Whatever surface level plausibility existed for justifying restriction on steel and aluminum imports is entirely absent when it comes to automobiles,” USW stated. “The breathtaking leap of logic required to recommend tariffs on imported automobiles and parts due to their threats to national security suggest that the only plausible reasons for this action are either economic protectionism in violation of our WTO commitments or a negotiating tactic. Use of this statute as a negotiating tactic is an abuse of the authority granted by Congress and economic protection is available through trade remedy laws if the need for protection meets the requirements of the relevant statutes. In either case, the Department of Commerce should find that these imports do not threaten national security.”

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Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
In all its programs, activities and employment, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USW at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S., 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, USW, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. USW is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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New U.S. Wheat Associates Officers Begin Terms at 2018 Annual Meeting

Seattle, WASHINGTON — The U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Board of Directors seated new officers at its annual meeting June 24, 2018, in Seattle, Wash. USW is the export market development organization representing U.S. wheat farmers.

USW officers for 2018/19 are: Chairman Chris Kolstad of Ledger, Mont.; Vice Chairman Doug Goyings of Paulding, Ohio; Secretary-Treasurer Darren Padget of Grass Valley, Ore.; and Past Chairman Mike Miller of Ritzville, Wash. USW officers were elected to these one-year positions at the February 2018 board of directors meeting in Washington, D.C.

Left to right: Vice Chairman Doug Goyings; Chairman Chris Kolstad; Past Chairman Mike Miller; and Secretary-Treasurer Darren Padget.

The board of directors also welcomed members of the Philippine Association of Flour Millers as special guests at their meeting. Executive Director Ricardo Pinca presented information about the potential threat from Turkish flour imports. Several years ago, the association proved to their government that Turkish companies were dumping flour into the Philippines that created a “material threat” to their business. That threat extended to U.S. wheat sales because Philippines millers import more than 95 percent of their commodity from the United States. Duties were imposed on Turkish flour but they will expire in 2019, so Pinca explained how USW and local millers can work together to fight the future risk of continued dumping.

USW’s next Board meeting will be held jointly with the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) Oct. 29 to Nov. 2, 2018, in Tampa, Fla.

Chris Kolstad is the fourth generation of his family to farm in Montana’s “Golden Triangle” region. He and his wife Vicki have four children, including their son Cary who is a partner in their operation. They grow hard red winter (HRW) wheat, dark northern spring wheat, durum, barley and dry peas. A commissioner of the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee, Kolstad has been a USW director since 2012. He is also a member of the Montana Grain Growers Association and Montana Farm Bureau. He is a regular blood donor and his community leadership includes past service on the local school board, in his family’s church and on the Montana Commission on Community Service.

Darren Padget is a fourth-generation farmer in Oregon’s Sherman County, with a dryland wheat and summer fallow rotation currently producing registered and certified seed on 3,400 acres annually. Previously, Padget held positions on the Oregon Wheat Growers League board of directors and executive committee for seven years, serving as president in 2010. He chaired the NAWG Research and Technology Committee and served on the Mid-Columbia Producers board of directors, for which he was an officer for 10 years.

Doug Goyings’ family has been farming in northwestern Ohio since 1884. Goyings and his family grow soft red winter (SRW) and have hosted numerous trade teams on their farm. He has served in Ohio and national agricultural leadership positions for 37 years. Goyings has been a member of the USW board since 2009 and is a past chairman of the USW Long-Range Planning Committee. He serves as a director for the Ohio Small Grains Checkoff Board, is a past-president of his local Farm Bureau and has served as a director for the Ohio Veal Growers Inc., Creston Veal, Inc. and Paulding Landmark, Inc.

Mike Miller is a fourth-generation farmer who operates a dryland wheat farm and grows multiple crops on a separate, irrigated farm in east central Washington. He has served on many local, state and national boards, and this is his seventh year as a USW director representing the Washington Grain Commission. Miller is also very active in supporting wheat research and development. He and his wife, Marci, have three children.

USW’s mission is to develop, maintain and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers in more than 100 countries. Its activities are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

Caption: Ricardo Pinca, Executive Director of the Philippine Association of Flour Millers, presented information about the continuing threat to U.S. wheat exports and the flour milling industry from the dumping of Turkish flour into the Philippines.

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Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
In all its programs, activities and employment, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USW at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S., 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, USW, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. USW is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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Michael Anderson Joins the U.S. Wheat Associates West Coast Office Team

PORTLAND, Oregon — U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) is happy to announce that Michael T. Anderson will join its staff as Assistant Director of the West Coast Office in Portland, Ore., July 9, 2018. Anderson’s responsibilities will include assisting overseas trade delegations visiting the wheat supply chain in the Pacific Northwest, outreach to state wheat commissions and the grain trade and a range of assignments supporting USW’s export market development activities on behalf of U.S. wheat farmers.

“We are very pleased that Michael is bringing relevant experience in international market development, project management, market research and data analysis to our organization,” said Steve Wirsching, USW Vice President and Director of the West Coast Office. “His work with many different contacts from overseas guests to wheat producers will be a strong showcase for his excellent communications skills.”

“During grad school I became familiar with cooperator groups through an internship with the Southern U.S. Trade Association,” Anderson said. “After that I was devoted to the idea of how valuable it can be promoting U.S. agriculture on a global scale. Though I took a circuitous route to get here, I’m excited for the opportunity to learn more about wheat while working closely with stakeholders here and overseas.”

Anderson grew up in Texas and earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Baylor University and a master’s degree in International Agriculture from Oklahoma State University. After graduating from Baylor, Anderson joined the Peace Corps where he served as a health volunteer in Armenia. Following that overseas experience, he also worked with the Carter Center in Central Africa as a technical advisor for the Guinea Worm Eradication Program with the South Sudan Ministry of Health. Anderson served as a trade intern with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in Washington D.C., where he became interested in international trade policy. Most recently, Anderson was International Marketing Program Coordinator for Food Export Association of the Northeast, which like USW is a member of the public-private partnership with USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) export market development programs. He speaks French and his hobbies include travel and softball.

USW’s mission is to develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers in more than 100 countries. Its activities are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by FAS.

Michael T. Anderson

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Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
In all its programs, activities and employment, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USW at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S., 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, USW, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. USW is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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Wheat harvest photo
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Give U.S. Wheat Farmers the Freedom to Compete

ARLINGTON, Virginia — The familiar African proverb says that when elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. Unfortunately for America’s farmers, that grass is the wheat growing in their fields as the big guys in Washington, D.C., and Beijing escalate their trade fight.

China’s state-run importing agency and private flour millers bought an average of more than 1.1 million metric tons of U.S. wheat the past five years because our farmers produce higher quality grain than China can grow on its own. Following the Trump Administration’s announcement of new tariffs on $50 billion of imported Chinese goods, China hit back with tariffs of its own, including a 25 percent tariff on U.S. wheat imports. In response, the White House is ordering trade officials to draw up a list of $200 billion worth of Chinese goods that would be hit with 10 percent tariff on top of the 25 percent tariffs already promised. In a trade war, agriculture always gets hit first and the effects of these tariffs could prove devastating for farmers.

No one in China will be hurt if the retaliatory U.S. wheat tariff is implemented. China has huge amounts of stored wheat and they can purchase what they need from Australia, Canada or even Kazakhstan, although Chinese consumers will miss the opportunity to experience higher quality products made from U.S. wheat. Instead, the outcome is likely to further erode the incomes of farm families who strongly support addressing the real concerns about China’s trade policies.

According to the USDA, net cash wheat farm income is projected to be down more than 21 percent this year compared to last. U.S. wheat growers are not in the business of ceding a market like China that wants to buy their crop and could buy so much more of it. That is why in 2016, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) called for World Trade Organization (WTO) cases intended to push China to meet its WTO commitments on domestic support and tariff rate quota management. We are happy that the Trump Administration supports and is pursuing those cases.

USW and NAWG know that farmers still want our organizations to keep fighting for fair opportunities to compete in China and other countries. They would prefer, however, to see our government do that first within the processes already in place.

Instead, the Administration is doubling down on a tactical policy that makes an already risky business of agriculture even more volatile. Policies like the ones being proposed will only make times harder for farmers, and the Administration’s vague promises of protection for the farmers we represent offers little consolation.

Our country’s continuing agricultural trade surplus is proof that America’s farmers can compete successfully in the world based on the quality and value of what they produce, given the freedom to do so.

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About U.S. Wheat Associates
USW’s mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers.” USW activities in more than 100 countries are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. For more information, visit our website at www.uswheat.org.

About NAWG
NAWG is the primary representative in Washington D.C. for wheat growers, working to ensure a better future for America’s growers, the industry and the general public. NAWG works with a team of 20 state wheat grower organizations to benefit the wheat industry at state and national levels. From their offices in the Wheat Growers Building on Capitol Hill, NAWG’s staff members are in constant contact with state association representatives, NAWG grower leaders, Members of Congress, Congressional staff members and the public.

Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
In all its programs, activities and employment, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USW at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S., 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, USW, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. USW is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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Farm Organizations Look for Negotiations with China to Achieve Durable Market Access

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Eighteen U.S. agricultural organizations sent a letter to President Trump on May 31, 2018, expressing hope that he will “prioritize negotiations with China to resolve many longstanding obstacles to U.S. agricultural exports while avoiding mutually destructive tariffs.”

The organizations agree that there are certainly major problems in the U.S. trade relationship with China, and they stated that the Trump Administration has “rightfully identified many unfair trading practices by China that harm the U.S. economy.” The groups want to see a “major recalibration of our trade relationship with China” that would result in U.S. producers “receiving the full benefits of China’s accession to the World Trade Organization.”

Instead of seeing tariffs imposed, the groups support “establishing normal commercial relations with China based on predictability, transparency, and market openness.” These organizations hope that there will be serious, productive, substantive negotiations that will result in “durable market access” for U.S. producers and “policymaking transparency” by Chinese authorities.

“The reputation of U.S. agriculture as a reliable supplier to the world is critical to the future of the industry,” the groups wrote. “We strongly encourage negotiations leading to open and predictable trade, particularly in cooperation with other countries in the region that share our concerns about China’s mercantilist policies.”

The following organizations signed the letter to President Trump:

American Farm Bureau Federation
American Soybean Association
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Barley Growers Association
National Corn Growers Association
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Sorghum Producers
National Sunflower Association
United Fresh Produce Association
U.S. Canola Association
U.S. Dry Bean Council
U.S. Grains Council
U.S. Soybean Export Council
U.S. Wheat Associates
USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council
USA Poultry & Egg Export Council
USA Rice
Western Growers

USW’s mission is to develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers in more than 100 countries. Its activities are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

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Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
U.S. Wheat Associates prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact U.S. Wheat Associates at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S.- 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, U.S. Wheat Associates, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. U.S. Wheat Associates is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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New Tariffs Could Jeopardize Administration’s Bilateral Trade Agenda

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) is once again disappointed that its repeated warnings about the consequences of the Section 232 investigations on steel and aluminum have been ignored and some of our closest allies and trading partners have been hit with new tariffs.

“It is dismaying to see that common sense has not yet prevailed in preventing these protectionist measures,” said Vince Peterson, President of U.S. Wheat Associates. “We’ve spent decades in critical markets like Mexico, Japan, Europe, and others because we’re committed to a lasting trading relationship between their milling and processing sectors and our farmers. If this Administration isn’t careful decades of efforts by our farmers could be wasted.”

If this approach doesn’t change, USW worries that the ambitious bilateral trade agreement agenda, which was promised and which we all look forward to, will never get off the ground because no country will be willing to take the political risks needed to negotiate an agreement with the United States.

The Department of Commerce is also in the process of a new Section 232 investigation on imports of automobiles and parts, the value of which far exceeds steel and aluminum imports, and primarily affects major wheat export markets like Mexico, Japan and the European Union, as well as Canada.

USW’s mission is to develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers in more than 100 countries. Its activities are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

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Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
U.S. Wheat Associates prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact U.S. Wheat Associates at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S.- 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, U.S. Wheat Associates, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. U.S. Wheat Associates is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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Japanese Flour Milling Executives Visit United States at a Pivotal Time

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Country Director Wataru “Charlie” Utsunomiya traditionally brings a team of senior executives from Japan’s flour milling industry to the United States to get an early look at each year’s wheat crop and establish professional connections with farmers, grain traders and other industry representatives. This year’s team arrived April 28, 2018, in Portland, Ore., at a good time to discuss many factors that affect the long, productive relationship between the Japanese milling industry and U.S. wheat.

Having just celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Japan Flour Milling Association (JFMA) in January 2018 in Tokyo, USW, the Oregon Wheat Commission (OWC) and the Washington Grain Commission (WGC) were pleased to welcome the team of six JFMA members and the organization’s new executive director Mr. Yasuo Sasaki.

“It is difficult to express how much we value our partnership with Japan’s flour millers, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the rest of its wheat foods industries,” said USW President Vince Peterson at the anniversary event. “We have developed a deep level of trust by maintaining an open dialogue with them. That has been so important to our mutually beneficial, long-term trading relationship, and we confirmed our commitment to continue our partnership in that spirit.”

Trade policy and how it affects that relationship was among the topics of discussion for the trade team with wheat commission representatives and USW in Portland and later in Washington, D.C.

Because the United States withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), U.S. wheat imported by Japan may be subject to a significantly higher effective tariff amount compared to wheat from Canada and Australia under the new Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement signed March 8, 2018, by eleven countries. Japanese President Abe’s meeting with U.S. President Trump to discuss trade and other topics in mid-April also provided context to the 2018 trade team visit.

“It is important to maintain and develop the good relationship Japan has had with the U.S. wheat industry for more than 60 years,” Mr. Sasaki said. “To that end, we hope the United States will return to the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, and we were encouraged by the joint announcement by USW and the National Association of Wheat Growers supporting that goal.”

Discussion of U.S. wheat quality is an important part of any trade team agenda, but there was a very special event for this team on May 2 at Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman, Wash.

Mr. Sasaki and WGC CEO Glen Squires signed a letter of intent to develop club wheat varieties through more technical exchange at a ceremony with U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington state Agriculture Director Derek Sandison, WSU President Kirk Schulz, USDA Agricultural Research Service and WSU researchers, university officials, WGC board members and USW Chairman Michael Miller.

Club wheat is a sub-class of soft white (SW) wheat that represents up to 20 percent of a blend with SW designated at Western White wheat. Japan imports more club wheat than any other country.

Mr. Sasaki and WGC Chairman Gary Bailey noted the important benefits they expect to come from this agreement to continue improving the white club varieties needed to make the flour demanded by Japan’s sophisticated baking and wheat foods industry.

“We truly appreciate your efforts to develop a stable supply of good quality wheat for Japan,” Mr. Sasaki said at the ceremony.

Trade, innovative plant breeding and other policy topics were on the agenda during the team’s visit to Washington, D.C., from May 3 to 5. The executives met with senior staff at the USW Headquarters office in Arlington, Va., and with milling industry colleagues at the North American Millers’ Association and their own diplomatic officials at the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., before returning to Japan.

The entire U.S. wheat industry is fully committed to enhancing the bond with customers in Japan and around the world that has helped us all weather many challenges and will continue to be a basis for open and productive partnership well into the future.

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Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
U.S. Wheat Associates prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact U.S. Wheat Associates at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S.- 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, U.S. Wheat Associates, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. U.S. Wheat Associates is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

 

 

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Miguel Galdos Returns to U.S. Wheat Associates as Regional Director in South America

SANTIAGO — U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) announces that a familiar face is returning to the organization, naming Miguel Galdos, as Regional Director of its South American region. This follows the announcement that after 41 years of dedicated service to the U.S. wheat industry, Regional Vice President Alvaro de la Fuente will retire October 2018. Galdos will begin June 1, 2018, providing an appropriate transition period. Previously, Galdos worked for USW as Marketing Specialist and Assistant Regional Director in the USW Santiago Office from 2001 to 2008.

“I am excited to be back working for U.S. Wheat Associates, after 10 additional years of experience serving the Latin American and Caribbean wheat milling industry,” said Galdos. “The USW Santiago Office will continue to do its best to serve U.S. wheat customers in South America and represent the interests of U.S. wheat growers in the region. We will put emphasis on technical service to demonstrate the concrete benefit of U.S. wheat – the most reliable source of wheat in the world.”

Most recently, Galdos worked for Engrain LLC, as Vice President for Latin American and the Caribbean. Engrain is a U.S. based company involved in the production and commercialization of enzyme technology and premixes for the milling and baking industry. Galdos earned a degree from the Universidad Mayor, College of Forestry and Agriculture Sciences, in Santiago, Chile, and has completed courses at the IGP Institute and American Institute of Baking (AIB).

In his role at USW, Galdos will be responsible for leading market development programs conducted in the USW South American region to develop, serve and expand markets for U.S. wheat exports. He will also lead the regional office’s administrative and operational management.

“I am looking forward to welcoming Miguel back to U.S. Wheat Associates and working with him to continue to drive market efforts in our South American region,” said USW Vice President of Overseas Operations Mark Fowler. “His skill set and combined background in marketing, flour functionality and product development, will enhance USW’s ability to connect with U.S. wheat customers in the region and provide essential trade and technical service.”

USW’s mission is to develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers in more than 100 countries. Its activities are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

Miguel Galdos

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