Trade
Just days before the Douglas, Ariz., port of entry is set to welcome Mexican cattle, a confirmed bovine case in Sonora throws the USDA’s phased reopening timeline into question.
Industry analysts expect the move could ease phosphate pricing pressure, though not necessarily return the market to “normal.”
The reopening of the U.S.-Mexico border on Aug. 24 is expected to have a short-term impact on cattle markets, but analysts say the return of Mexican feeder cattle will not fundamentally change long-term supply.
Former US Trade Representative Bob Lighthizer says Mexico, not Canada, will be the biggest test in USMCA talks, citing trade deficits. That’s as agriculture leaders push to protect billions in North American trade.
USDA to open the Douglas, Ariz., port first to restart U.S.-Mexico cattle trade after more than a year of New World screwworm-driven closures — if Mexico adheres to the Joint Action Plan.
The question facing U.S. agriculture is whether current farm aid is a bridge through temporary hardship — or a pier toward more structural government support.
Koch Ag & Energy Solutions will invest in Jorf Fertilizers Company I, forming a 50/50 joint venture with OCP Nutricrops and expanding the companies’ phosphate fertilizer partnership in Morocco.
At the Iowa Economic Summit, former USTR Bob Lighthizer warned farmers that China’s soy and meat buying is a short-term play, urging producers to “take off the rose-colored glasses” regarding long-term export risk.