Trade

More than 300 State Legislators Urge Removing Corporate-Friendly ISDS Provisions from NAFTA

Earlier this week, U.S. state legislators released a letter signed by 312 lawmakers from all 50 states urging an end to the controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system in the renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Trump and Mexico back down on farmer protections in NAFTA

NAFTA is often touted as a big win for U.S. farmers, but it would be more accurate to say it has been a win for global agribusiness firms who trade across borders. A proposed and reportedly rejected seasonal anti-dumping provision wouldn’t have solved all the problems with NAFTA—but it would have been a significant step toward balancing a playing field that tilts overboard toward agribusiness and away from farmers.

Uprooted: NAFTA Deadline Special

In a quickly put together special episode, Josh and Karen Hansen-Kuhn talk about what has happened this week with NAFTA as today's deadline looms to submit the intent to sign the deal to Congress.

Doing "a big number" on commodity market regulation

Then-candidate Donald Trump campaigned as the scourge of Wall Street. But now-President Trump has promised to “do a big number” on the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Financial Protection Act. Most media coverage of the promised “big number” has focused on the gutting of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the pushing through of legislation that U.S.

Uprooted Episode 41: Brexit

Josh talks with Sharon Treat about the troubling food safety aspects of the latest UK government white paper on Brexit and how it may affect trade with the US and Europe. 

Regulate new GE techniques? U.S. (never) vs. EU (yes)

New agricultural technologies present new challenges for assessing risks and tailoring risk management measures for those technologies. However, governments, particularly those that have invested taxpayer money to develop the technologies, may not adapt to meet those challenges. The U.S. and EU are taking very different approaches to that task.

Five Red Flags for Food, Farming and Fair Trade Under the UK’s New Brexit Plan

Brexit presents a number of significant risks to the future of sustainable food and agriculture in the UK, the EU and around the world. Until now, those risks have been speculative. But recent actions by the UK government have raised the stakes and presented five significant risks as a result of Brexit.

USDA helps High Frequency Traders now; promises help for farmers later

On July 10, USDA announced a change to the decades old policy of releasing its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) first to accredited media representatives and 90 minutes later to the public. In theory, the media interpret WASDE information to the benefit of their subscribers, including traders. But starting in August, the media will receive the WASDE report at the same time as everyone else, due to a policy change made with the analytic assistance of the Commodity Trading Futures Commission.

Immigration, Trade, and the Farm Bill: Fires from the Same Spark

The House is expected to vote on two immigration bills this week, both are not good, but one will curtail the rights of farmworkers, while further depressing the farm economy.

Don't Look Behind the Curtain

In the wake of the G7 summit, the news was focused on President Trump’s astonishing demands to end all tariffs everywhere and to readmit Russia, as well as his insults of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Just days ago, most of the other countries’ leaders were focused on the imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs and the waves of retaliatory tariffs that were underway. Now, suddenly, that focus has vanished, with attention shifting to the next outlandish statement.