published 04/23/2009

Before the International Trade Commission Investigation No. 332-504 India: Effects of Tariffs and Non-Tariff Measures on US Agricultural Exports Written testimony submitted by Alan Tracy, President, US Wheat Associates In accordance with Federa...

published 01/26/2009

The attached report reviews the main areas of trade policy focus in 2008 and identifies likely new policy priorities and initiatives to consider in 2009. ...

published 01/13/2009

...

published 01/09/2009

Submitted to President-elect Obama's United States Trade Representative (USTR) transition office on January 6, 2009. 2009 POLICY PRIORITIES U.S. WHEAT INDUSTRY POLICY PRIORITIES 2009 FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA’S USTR TRANSITION TEAM U.S....

published 08/03/2008

From U.S. Wheat Associates Chairman Michael Edgar and NAWG President David Cleavinger: "The U.S. wheat industry supports our negotiators’ continual efforts to gain new export opportunities for U.S. agriculture and applauds Ambassador Schwab’s decis...

published 02/22/2008

February 22, 2008 Dr. Joe Glauber Special Doha Agricultural Envoy Acting Chief Economist Office of the Chief Economist U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20250 Dear Dr. Glauber: The US wheat industry remain...

published 02/22/2008

February 22, 2008 The Honorable Ed Schafer Secretary U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC 20250 Sent by fax and U.S. Mail Dear Secretary Schafer: We understand that you may be approached in the coming weeks w...

published 02/21/2008

The following is a joint statement by Ron Suppes, Chairman of U.S. Wheat Associates, and John Thaemert, President of the National Association of Wheat Growers. The free trade agreement (FTA) known officially as the U.S.- Colombia Trade Promotion Ag...

published 02/21/2008

February 13, 2008 Honorable Tom Harkin Honorable Collin Peterson Chairman Chairman Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee on Agriculture U.S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC Washington,...

published 12/19/2007

Despite the misgivings about the future of the Doha round, negotiators in Geneva are satisfied with the unprecedented pace of negotiations. Some, in fact, note that more has been accomplished in the last four months than at any other time in the ne...

published 12/04/2007

Washington, D.C. – The following is a statement from Ron Suppes, chairman of U.S. Wheat Associates, and John Thaemert, president of the National Association of Wheat Growers, on the Senate’s passage Tuesday of the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement: ...

published 11/28/2007

...

published 09/11/2007

HEMISPHERIC PARADIGM SHIFT CALLS FOR NEW U.S. STRATEGY IN SOUTH AMERICA By Rebecca Bratter Coleman, Director of Policy, U.S. Wheat Associates South America is the new trade battleground for the U.S. and especially so for the U.S. wheat in...

published 08/16/2007

Congress holds in its hands an historic opportunity to expand prosperity in rural America in the form of pending Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Peru, Colombia, South Korea, and Panama. For example, the American Farm Bureau Association estimates...

published 07/16/2007

Washington, D.C. – The following is a joint statement of Ron Suppes, chairman, U.S. Wheat Associates, and David Cleavinger, first vice president, National Association of Wheat Growers: "The U.S. wheat industry has long supported free trade agreemen...

published 07/03/2007

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) is disappointed that Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which allows the executive branch to negotiate trade agreements subject to an up-or-down vote in Congress, was left to expire early Sunday morning. The organization al...

published 06/25/2007

Washington, D.C. – The following is a joint statement of Leonard Schock, chairman, U.S. Wheat Associates, and John Thaemert, president, National Association of Wheat Growers: “The U.S. wheat industry is on record supporting pending bilateral free...

published 06/01/2007

U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers recently joined all U.S. "program" commodity groups to ask that U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab and her office's WTO negotiating team strenuously maintain a position that: "R...

published 05/08/2007

Following a request on March 16, 2007, from the Senate Finance Committee, the United States International Trade Commission instituted investigation No. 332-489, U.S. Agricultural Sales to Cuba: Certain Economic Effects of U.S. Restrictions.In April,...

published 03/15/2007

A team of four wheat producers from Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska and Washington state representing the U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Board of Directors is currently on a two-week tour of Latin America to meet with important buyers, millers and traders....

published 02/09/2007

...

published 02/05/2007

Feb. 2, 2007 Ambassador Richard T. Crowder Chief Agriculture Negotiator USTR 600 17th St. NW, Room 300A Washington, DC 20508 Dear Ambassador Crowder: On behalf of America’s wheat growers, we are writing to respond to questions you raised in a...

published 10/17/2006

The U.S. wheat industry believes that action should be taken soon on a number of key free trade initiatives. Due to the suspension of the Doha Development Round, the increasingly competitive global trade environment and domestic challenges to wheat’...

published 04/05/2006

...

published 03/03/2006

Links to news reports on AWB monopoly status: Iraq to buy $134m of wheat (The Age, March 30) New wheat exporter a "sham" (The Australian, March 9) We refuse to touch AWB, says Iraq's Chalabi (Sydney Morning Herald, March 7) Consortium formed for wh...

published 02/07/2006

USW RESOLUTION ON AWB WHEREAS, AWB Ltd's (formerly the Australian Wheat Board) monopoly status has provided them a continuing ability to work outside the norms of global competition; and WHEREAS, AWB has used its unfair advantages for decades to u...

published 02/07/2006

President’s Report to the USW Board of Directors February 4, 2006 Alan Tracy Three years ago I was invited to speak to the Australian grain producers at their annual convention. I told them, and I meant it, that I was honored by the invitation an...

published 01/30/2006

Senator Norm Coleman sent three letters in response to the AWB scandal. ************************** Several U.S. Senators who have long supported American wheat producers sent a letter to USDA Secretary Mike Johanns, urging USDA to reinstate the...

published 01/26/2006

The "Cole Inquiry," hearings on the Australian wheat board's involvement in illicit payments to Saddam Hussein's regime, began January 16. A full report is due at the end of March. For hearing transcripts, go to the Oil for Food Inquiry website. Au...

published 12/07/2005

In view of the increasing global interest in the UN Oil for Food investigation, USW is posting copies of AWB Oil for Food contracts that have come to our attention. These documents were provided to U.S. Wheat Associates, and we believe the documen...

published 11/16/2005

USDA notified reporters on November 15 that they were lifting AWB's suspension from the U.S. export credit program. See the report from DTN reporter Jerry Hagstrom, below. While USW is surprised at the rapid pace of events at USDA, we are pleased t...

published 11/09/2005

On October 27, 2005, the United Nations issued a devastating report on illicit payments made to Saddam Hussein’s regime under the UN Oil for Food (OFF) Programme. We at U.S. Wheat Associates are impressed with the report’s depth and detail about the...

published 09/28/2005

USW, NAWG and WETEC sent a letter to Senate Ag Committee Chairman Saxby Chambliss on September 21. The letter strongly urges the committee and USTR to address the monopoly powers of the CWB and AWB during the Doha Round. It explains how the two mono...

published 05/02/2005

Issued May 2, 2005, by GIPSA American wheat producers are working diligently to market hard white (HW) wheat as a premium product to buyers in the competitive global marketplace. To help producers meet market needs for this developing class, GIPSA...

published 03/15/2005

March 15, 2005 By Telefax and Hand Delivery Mr. Robert W. Werner Director Office of Foreign Assets Control United States Department of the Treasury Treasury Annex 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20220 Re: Industry Petition for Reli...

published 03/08/2005

The following is reprinted, with permission, from the National Journal's Congress Daily, March 8, 2005: The Bush administration's decision to tighten regulations on the financing of U.S. trade with Cuba might affect up to $250 million in contracts...

published 03/03/2005

We have seen news reports that the European Commission raised the level of wheat export subsidies today, granting a 10 euro ($13.21) per tonne refund on 451,750 tonnes. These EU restitutions have reached outrageous levels. With recent firm soybe...

published 11/18/2004

In February 2004, the Administration asked Congress to provide $1.185 billion for FY 2005 P.L. 480 Title II food aid programs. Pending congressional appropriations bills would provide about this amount. Sadly, due to protracted emergencies and civi...

published 04/08/2004

Presentation by Paul Dickerson Vice President, U.S. Wheat Associates CONGRESSIONAL-EXECUTIVE COMMISSION ON CHINA ISSUES ROUNDTABLE March 26, 2004 Thank you for this opportunity to discuss the U.S. wheat industry experience with trade to China. Fir...

published 03/18/2004

The following letter was sent to Ambassador Robert Zoellick, the Senate Finance Committee, Senate Agriculture Committee, House Ways and Means and the House Agriculture Committee: Thursday, March 18, 2004 RE: Australian Free Trade Agreement Dear...

published 12/03/2003

Friday, October 24, 2003 Honorable Tom Ridge U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528 Dear Mr. Secretary, The United States agriculture community shares the vital concern of security regarding visitors to the U.S. and the need...

published 11/24/2003

(NOTE: USDA's Federal Grain Inspection Service currently issues letters, at the request of buyers or others in the food production chain, stating that transgenic wheat is not commercialized in the United States. U.S. Wheat Associates and colleague...

published 10/03/2003

Statement Submitted by Alan T. Tracy U.S. Wheat Associates and Barbara R. Spangler Wheat Export Trade Education Committee Regarding China’s WTO Compliance October 3, 2003 The U.S. Agricultural community, including the wheat industry and the trad...

published 09/26/2003

A presentation by Alan T. Tracy President, U.S. Wheat Associates September 26, 2003 Wisconsin Export Trade Conference I’d like to start out by giving you a quick explanation of U.S. Wheat Associates and what we do. We are the industry’s export ma...

published 05/21/2003

Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate Jim McDonald, Chairman Wheat Export Trade Education Committee and U.S. Wheat Associates May 20, 2003 Good Morning, members of the committee. My name is Jim McDonald and I am a wheat producer fr...

published 04/07/2003

Last week, the United States government shipped 56,500 metric tons of wheat to the Iraqi people, with perhaps 150,000 tons more to be shipped as needed in the next couple of weeks. It isn’t just any wheat -- it is hard red winter wheat, a versatile...

published 03/20/2003

On March 17, 2003, the U.S. Wheat Associates Board of Directors approved the following resolution: WHEREAS U.S. Wheat Associates has played a major rule in convincing Cuba to change its policy and source agricultural commodities and products from th...

published 11/14/2002

2002 ALIM conference Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I know that the program shows, and a lot of you were expecting, that I would talk about U.S. wheat production. We have that information printed and available to you, so instea...

published 09/24/2002

24 September 2002 Re: EU Commission Tariff Rate Quota to Restrict European Milling Industry Access to US Wheat To all EU wheat industry members: It is with great concern that I write to you regarding the proposed changes in the EU wheat import tari...

published 09/05/2002

by Vincent Peterson, USW vice president, Rotterdam The EU was the fourth largest overall export destination for U.S. wheat in the past marketing year. Their recent proposals to change import levies, if enacted, would have a disastrous effect on U.S...

published 08/12/2002

U.S. WHEAT ASSOCIATES BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETS IN OKLAHOMA CITY The USW Board of Directors discussed several important issues and took decisive action on a number of fronts at their meeting in Oklahoma City last week. The remainder of the Wheat Let...

published 06/14/2002

(The following is the text of a letter sent to USDA Secretary Ann Veneman) Dear Madam Secretary: We note the recent announcement by USDA that 275,000 tons of wheat will be taken from the Bill Emerson Trust (formerly the Food Security Reserve) to s...

published 06/12/2002

Today there are about 800 million malnourished and hungry people in the world. In order to meet the goal of halving world hunger by 2015, a goal agreed to by countries involved in the 1996 World Food Summit, the U.S. needs to increase its leadership...

published 04/17/2002

I am pleased and honored to be invited to speak to this assembly of friends. And I do consider you friends, even though we are fierce competitors for wheat markets around the world. One of the reasons we are friends is because our countries have so...

published 04/05/2002

April 5, 2002 Ms. Ellen Terpstra, Administrator US Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service - Stop 1001 1400 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20250 Dear Ms. Terpstra: We are writing in response to the Department of Agriculture'...

published 11/16/2001

ALAN T. TRACY President, U.S. Wheat Associates September 11 and the Aftermath: Implications for Trade Presented to ABITRIGO November, 2001 I am honored to be here, again, among so many friends. And this year, more than ever, I especially apprecia...

published 10/31/2001

As relief agencies rush to get food supplies in place before the snows essentially block mountain passes in Afghanistan, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced this morning that they will be using federal money to purchase l...

published 08/07/2001

As you’ve been hearing throughout the day, the huge expansion of trade between US, Canada and Mexico, and the growth of our economies, clearly show that NAFTA has been a success. Yet, the image of NAFTA has been politicized, and many in agriculture...

published 08/07/2001

Statement of the U.S. Wheat Associates Wheat Export Trade Education Committee and National Association of Wheat Growers TO THE SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE ON PRODUCTION AND PRICE COMPETITIVENESS Presented by Henry Jo Von Tungeln, Cha...

published 07/06/2001

Alan Tracy, President U.S. Wheat Associates presentation to the International Grains Council Conference June 2001 I was asked to talk about the U.S. perspective on global trade issues. Rather than coming up here and telling you why all U.S. export...

published 07/02/2001

Alan Tracy, President 2001 South Asian Wheat Buyer's Conference June 25-27 Phuket, Thailand It is an honor and a privilege to be here with you today. Every time I come back to South Asia, I am impressed anew with the beauty of the land and the grac...

published 06/06/2001

Testimony submitted to the INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION June 6, 2001 Mr. Chairman and members of the Commission, my name is Paul Dickerson and I am Vice President of Overseas Operations for U.S. Wheat Associates. Prior to my present assignment I...

published 05/18/2001

Testimony of Mr. Bruce Hamnes Chairman, Wheat Export Trade Education Committee and U.S. Wheat Associates Past Chairman, Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council Before the House of Representatives Committee on Ways & Means Subcommittee on Tra...

published 04/17/2001

A briefing for the U.S. House of Representatives April 17, 2001 and the U.S. Senate April 18, 2001 by James Frahm Vice President of Planning U.S. Wheat Associates America is a big and powerful country, and our farmers are the smartest -- and most...

published 04/04/2001

The following letter was sent to the U.S Trade Representative on April 4, 2001 Dear Ambassador Zoellick: With Australia reportedly anxious to conclude a free trade deal with Washington, and in view of reports that Trade Minister Mark Vaile said he...

published 04/03/2001

Free Trade Area of the Americas Background January, 2001 USW POSITION: Providing leadership in the creation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas should be among the highest priorities of the Bush administration. Other trade policy initiatives pal...

published 04/03/2001

March 30, 2001 The Honorable Robert Zoellick U.S. Trade Representative The Honorable Ann Veneman Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture Dear Ambassador Zoellick and Secretary Veneman: As U.S. wheat sales resume to Brazil, U.S. Wheat Associate...

published 02/14/2001

On February 8, 2001, APHIS made the following notification: EXCERPT - Product Requirements BRAZIL LAST UPDATED: February 8, 2001 TRITICUM ---------- (wheat) Wheat is prohibited from the United States. Th...

published 02/12/2001

FTAA - Free Trade Area of the Americas VI Business Forum of the Americas Submission to the Workshop on Agriculture by Wheat Export Trade Education Committee U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers February 8, 2001 Exe...

published 11/28/2000

ALAN T. TRACY PRESIDENT, U.S. WHEAT ASSOCIATES to the Grain Growers of Canada Convention Ottawa, Ontario November 13, 2000 Thank you Brian [Kriz], and to Clifton Foster for the invitation. I would like to congratulate the participating organizati...

published 10/30/2000

Il Congreso Mundial de la Pasta Isla de Margarita, Venezuela October 24, 2000 Panel: The impact of regional integration agreements on the pasta food industry comments by Alan T. Tracy President, U.S. Wheat Associates As a citizen of the U.S.,...

published 09/19/2000

Testimony offered by Nelson Denlinger, Vice President, U.S. Wheat Associates on behalf of U.S. Wheat Associates Wheat Export Trade Education Committee U.S. International Trade Commission September 19, 2000 Last year President Clinton announced...

published 08/18/2000

Letter from Timothy J. Galvin, Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA: July 24, 2000 Mr. Greg S. Arason President and Chief Executive Officer The Canadian Wheat Board Post Office Box 8 16, Stn. Main Winnipeg, Maitoba Canada R3 C 2PS...

published 07/17/2000

Statement of the Wheat Export Trade Education Committee U.S. Wheat Associates and National Association of Wheat Growers TO THE SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE ON PRODUCTION AND PRICE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION AND FORESTRY TH...

published 07/05/2000

Declaring that the customer comes first, U.S. Wheat Associates announced a major effort to develop a system to ensure that wheat importers around the world will always be able to get non-genetically modified U.S. wheat, if that is what the buyer wan...

published 06/09/2000

A speech presented by Chris Shaffer Chairman, U.S. Wheat Associates at the Latin American Buyers Conference May 2000, San Diego On behalf of the Board of Directors of U.S. Wheat Associates, all wheat farmers, I’d like to welcome you and thank you...

published 03/20/2000

U.S. wheat growers continue to face depressed prices. Global production, the glut of carryover stocks residing with major exporters, and the slow process of economic recovery in Asia, Latin American and Russia has hampered the pace of recovery in wo...

published 02/04/2000

Testimony of Paul Dickerson, Vice President of Overseas Operations USDA - Foreign Agricultural Service hearing on GRAIN CLEANING INITIATIVE Washington, D.C. January 28, 2000 It is an honor to be here today to testify on behalf of the installation...

published 02/04/2000

With just one vote in the year 2000, Congress can pave the way for a 10% increase in total wheat exports every year. On the other hand, the wrong vote would deliberately slam the door shut on those wheat sales and, more importantly, on America's wh...

published 01/24/2000

ALAN TRACY President, US Wheat Associates, Inc. Remarks to the Canadian Wheat Board January 19, 2000 - Winnipeg Greetings, ladies and gentlemen of the Canadian Wheat Board. It is an honor and a pleasure to be with you today. I want to thank Min...

published 11/18/1999

Food aid, under the guidance of WTO rules, is urgently needed. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 35 countries currently face food shortages, the highest toll since 1984 when a severe drought hit sub-Saharan Af...

published 11/18/1999

Issues surrounding the genetic modification of food products continue to heat up in countries around the world. U.S. Wheat Associates believes that the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures and the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) agreements fu...

published 11/18/1999

Many of the countries in the WTO are undergoing wholesale changes in their patterns of agricultural trade. Privatization, sophistication, and increased specifications are the key words for the next decade and beyond. This progress cannot be sustain...

published 11/18/1999

The Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture committed countries that employed export subsidies for agricultural commodities to lower the volume and value of their subsidies over the period 1995 to 2000. Export subsidies are to be revisited in the nex...

published 11/18/1999

There is a great deal of controversy over wheat boards. Some countries are calling for reform or greater transparency. These calls miss the essence of the problem: State Trading Export monopolies are disruptive and unfair traders. As such, they shou...

published 11/17/1999

Half of the wheat grown in the U.S. is destined for export markets. Producers want to be reliable exporters. We therefore urge the World Trade Organization to discourage unilateral sanctions of agricultural products by member countries, except durin...