USTR

Both parties challenged U.S. Trade Ambassador Katherine Tai repeatedly on the administration’s failure to negotiate market-opening free trade deals and even pursuing a ‘go-it-alone’ policy without consulting lawmakers on trade.   “Congres...

Doug McKalip says he is busy in his role as Chief Agricultural Negotiator with the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office.  He recently noted that he has a host of priorities on his to-do list.   “The first focus would be on keeping markets we have open. A lot of work has been do...

Earlier this month, U.S. Trade Representative’s Office requested technical consultations with Mexico regarding its proposed ban on GMO corn imports from the U.S.  The request is under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Chapter of USMCA.  Ag Secretary ...

On Monday, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office requested technical consultations with the Government of Mexico under USMCA.  The consultations, as part of the USMCA Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Chapter, are aimed at Mexico’s ban on genetically modified corn.   “The United ...

He says it all adds up.  When a specific U.S. food or farm commodity gains or expands access overseas, and that’s repeated several times over, the needle begins to move for the American Ag sector.  That according to Doug McKalip, Chief Ag negotiator at USTR.  He said they were able ...

The United States has requested a second dispute settlement panel within USMCA.  At issue, Canada's dairy tariff rate quotas.   "We bring the case our findings and our documentation to the panel," noted Doug McKalip, chief Ag negotiator at USTR.  "The way these th...

Senate Finance Committee Chair Oregon’s Ron Wyden, and Ranking Member Idaho’s Mike Crapo, are calling for the administration to continue to press for strong enforcement of USMCA.  Thursday’s letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai says such enforcement will ensure American trading partners live up to their obligations.   Crapo and Wyden sa...

Secretary Tom Vilsack said with the new Ag trade team of Alexis Taylor and Doug McKalip in place, U.S. producers will soon see the benefits.  Both were confirmed to their trade posts by the Senate last month.  Taylor, the former head of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, to head USDA’s Foreign Ag Service as Undersecretary for Trade; and McKalip as Chief Ag Negotiator at the U.S. Trade Represent

Doug McKalip, was confirmed as President Biden’s Chief Ag Trade Negotiator with the U.S. Trade Representative’s office just before Christmas.  He now faces a huge challenge to expand overseas market access.  It’s not a new issue for McKalip, who has roughly 30 years’ experience at USDA, including as an advisor to Secretary Vilsack.   “Recently at USDA, I helped spearh...

The Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative are accepting applications for new members to serve on agricultural trade advisory committees.  Members of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee advise the administration on implementing and enforcing existing U.S. t...