FAS: What's New (December 2006) What's New

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What's New - December 2006

WTO Members Need To Abide By WTO Rules For Beef Trade (USDA Radio News; 12/22/06 - real, mp3, wave)
— The Value Of The South Korean Beef Market (USDA Radio News; 12/22/06 - real, mp3, wave)

USDA Schedules 2007 Release Dates for World Market and Trade Reports (12/22/06)

USDA Proposes Indefinite Debarment Of AWB Limited
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced the immediate suspension and proposed debarment of AWB Limited, formerly the Australian Wheat Board, and its affiliates from participating in U.S. government programs and contracting with the U.S. government. (12/20/06)
— USDA Proposes Debarment Of AWB Limited (USDA Radio News; 12/20/06 - real, mp3, wave)

New Under Secretary Puts Farmers First (USDA Radio News; 12/21/06 - real, mp3, wave)
— New Under Secretary For Farm And Foreign Trade Sworn In (USDA Radio News; 12/20/06 - real, mp3, wave)

U.S. and Panama Complete Trade Promotion Agreement Negotiations (12/19/06)
— Statement by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns
— More on the U.S.-Panama FTA

Trade Forecast Updates from USDA radio:
— Beef Trade Update (12/19/06 - real, mp3, wave)
— Poultry Export Forecast Lowered (12/19/06 - real, mp3, wave)

USDA Awards $5.3 Million For Iraq Extension Revitalization Project (12/14/06)
— Fact Sheet: U.S. Agricultural Programs In Iraq (12/14/06)
— Rebuilding Iraq's agriculture

— The WTO And Domestic Farm Policy (USDA Radio News; 12/18/06 - real, mp3, wave)
— WTO May Meet In First Quarter Of 2007 (USDA Radio News; 12/15/06 - real, mp3, wave)
— WTO Ministerial Meeting A Possibility Early In 2007 (USDA Radio News; 12/14/06 - real, mp3, wave)

U.S. Agricultural Trade Update (Economic Research Service; 12/13/06)
— Latest U.S. Agricultural Trade Data (Economic Research Service; 12/12/06)
— Another Glowing Trade Report (USDA Radio News; 12/13/06 - real, mp3, wave)
— Rice Trade Forecast Is A Good One (USDA Radio News; 12/13/06 - real, mp3, wave)
— Southeast Asia Boosting World Coffee Production (USDA Radio News; 12/13/06 - real, mp3, wave)
— Update On World Cotton Trade (USDA Radio News; 12/12/06 - real, mp3, wave)
— World Coffee Prices Not Necessarily Affected By Production (USDA Radio News; 12/12/06 - real, mp3, wave)

Annual USTR Report to Congress Finds Mixed Record by China in Implementing World Trade Organization Obligations (12/11/06)

Statement Of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns Regarding Senate Confirmation Of Mark Keenum As Under Secretary For Farm And Foreign Agricultural Services (12/09/06)

USDA Secretary Expresses Disappointment About Korea's Rejection of U.S. Beef Shipments
Johanns noted that South Korean leaders announced in September that their border is open to U.S. beef and that Korea's rejection of the third shipment "clearly illustrates that South Korean officials are determined to find an excuse to reject all beef products from the United States." (12/06/06)
— Transcript of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns meeting with the Press Regarding beef trade with South Korea
— Johanns Reacts To Korea’s Rejection Of U.S. Beef (USDA Radio News; 12/06/06 - real, mp3, wave)
— U.S. Exporters Unlikely To Ship Beef To Korea At This Time (USDA Radio News; 12/06/06 - real, mp3, wave)
— Action U.S. Could Take Concerning Korea and U.S. Beef (USDA Radio News; 12/07/06 - real, mp3, wave)

International Avian Influenza Conference Underway In Mali (USDA Radio News; 12/05/06 - real, mp3, wave)

FAS Web Site Now Features RSS News Feed for Press Releases
FAS now provides an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed of its ten most recent press releases. Using the RSS reader of your choice, you'll always be up-to-date when FAS publishes breaking news. (12/01/06)
— Links to RSS readers
— Most recent feed
— Subscribe

United States and Lebanon Sign Trade and Investment Framework Agreement
U.S. exports of agricultural products to Lebanon in 2005 were valued at $63 million, including course grains and tree nuts. U.S. imports of agricultural products from Lebanon in 2005 were valued at $17 million. (U.S. Trade Representative; 11/30/06)

South Korean Protocol for U.S. Beef and Trade Barriers
South Korea's rejection of a U.S. beef shipment gives an appearance that the motive was based on trade barriers and not necessarily food safety. (USDA Radio News; 11/29/06 - real, mp3)
— Other U.S. Beef Shipments To Test South Korea Protocol (USDA Radio News; 11/28/06 - real, mp3)
— Korean Beef Import Suspension Prompts Strong Reactions (USDA Radio News; 11/28/06 - real, mp3)
— First U.S. Beef Shipment to South Korea Rejected (USDA Radio News; 11/28/06 - real, mp3)

USDA Secretary Comments on the Cole Commission's Report on the Australian Wheat Board
Johanns lauds the Australian Government's commitment to a "thorough, independent and transparent inquiry of allegations against Australian Wheat Board Limited and AWB (USA) Limited." (11/27/06)
— Reaction to Australian Investigation of Kickbacks (USDA Radio News; 11/28/06 - real, mp3)

Featured Reports
12/21 Apple Production Update (.pdf)
12/21 Pear Production Update (.pdf)
12/21 Table Grape Production Update (.pdf)
12/11 Argentina: Corn Production Forecast Above Last Year (.pdf)
12/11 Tight EU Grain Market Causes Prices to Climb
12/11 New Egyptian Soy Crushing Capacity Shifts Import Demand From Meal to Beans (.pdf)
11/13 Drought Forecast to Reduce Australian Rapeseed Exports in 2007
11/13 Peru Cotton Production, Consumption and Imports
11/13 Tightening World Grain Supplies Push Prices to Decade High Levels

World Production, Market and Trade Reports
12/20 Dairy Monthly Imports
12/11 World Agricultural Production
12/11 Cotton: World Markets and Trade
12/11 Grain: World Markets and Trade
12/11 Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade
12/01 Tropical Products: World Markets and Trade
12/05 U.S. Planting Seed Trade

2006 Release Dates

Export Regulations
In Detail

Federal Register Notices

12/22/06 Advisory Committee on Emerging Markets: Nominations
11/14/06 An extension for a currently approved information collection in support of the regulations governing the entry of raw cane sugar under the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) into the United States
11/07/06 Waivers of Requirement for Timely Presentation of Certificates of Quota Eligibility for Sugar Imported From Mexico in Fiscal Year (FY) 2006
09/01/06 Adjustment of Appendices to the Dairy Tariff-Rate Import Quota Licensing Regulation for the 2006 Tariff-Rate Quota Year
09/01/06 Assessment of Fees for Dairy Import Licenses for the 2007 Tariff-Rate Import Quota Year
08/03/06 The Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), will begin accepting Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers petitions for fiscal year 2007 starting August 15, 2006
08/03/06 Proposed rule to establish regulations applicable to the Quality Samples Program (QSP)
07/28/06 Request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of the Dairy Tariff-Rate Import Quota Licensing program
07/24/06 Notice of product coverage and trigger levels for safeguard measures provided for in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture
07/12/06 Notice to request an extension of a currently approved information collection in support of Export Enhancement Program (EEP) and Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP)
07/07/06 Notice of Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection in support of the Regulations—Financing Commercial Sales of Agricultural Commodities under Title I of Public Law 83-480; Request for Vessel Approval, Form CCC-105 and Request for Vessel Approval, Form CCC-105 (cotton); and Declaration of Sale, Form FAS-359.

Export Sales
Archival export sales reports are available from 1998 to the present. -- The Export Sales Reporting Program: The Early Alert System for U.S. Exporters (brochure)

USDA Calendar of Publications
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