International News

ASTA Represented at ISF World Seed Congress in Nice, France

On June 13, 2019

Over 1,700 seed industry professionals, representing 63 countries, gathered in Nice, France June 2-5 to attend the International Seed...

USDA Announces Aid for Farmers Impacted by Recent Trade Disruptions

On May 30, 2019

On May 23, USDA announced plans to provide additional aid to farmers impacted by the current trade disruptions. In...

Positive News for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement

On May 30, 2019

The U.S., Mexico and Canada agreed last week to remove steel and aluminum tariffs as well as the retaliatory...

Seed Industry Discusses Priorities with APHIS

On May 16, 2019

On May 2, ASTA staff and industry representatives met with USDA-APHIS Administrator Kevin Shea and staff at APHIS headquarters...

Seed Industry to be Impacted by Increased Tariffs on Products from China

On May 16, 2019

Effective May 10, tariffs on List 3 products increased from 10% to 25%. Any cargo leaving China after May...

ASTA’s “Phyto Man” Ric Dunkle talks with RFD-TV

On April 29, 2019

On April 12, ASTA Sr. Director of Seed Trade and Health Ric Dunkle was a guest on RFD-TV. Dunkle...

ASTA Applauds International Move to Streamline Phytosanitary System for Seed

On April 17, 2019

ASTA welcomes the decision by the Commission of Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) to develop a Systems Approach for seed as...

Importing Seed from India or Turkey?

On March 20, 2019

Earlier this month, the Trump Administration announced its intention to terminate special trade benefits that India and Turkey had...

Are you getting the Global Seed News?

On March 20, 2019

As a membership benefit, ASTA members may sign up to receive the association’s quarterly international newsletter, Global Seed News....

ASTA Receives 2019 Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program Funding

On February 21, 2019

As a USDA cooperator, ASTA receives funding from the department’s Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development program...

ASTA Receives Agricultural Trade Promotion Grant

On February 21, 2019

Good news! ASTA is the recipient of a $1,375,000 award from USDA’s new Agricultural Trade Promotion program to help...

U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement: What’s next?

On January 30, 2019

Although the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) was signed by the leaders of the three countries last fall, the countries...

China Update: Trade Talks and Plant Breeding Innovation Dialogue

On January 16, 2019

Last week, senior officials from the United States and China met in Beijing to work towards a resolution on...

Tariff Truce – No Additional Tariffs Levied between China-U.S. for 90-day Negotiation Window

On December 18, 2018

Following a handshake agreement between U.S. President Trump and Chinese President Xi at the G20 summit, no additional tariffs...

Agriculture & Science Groups Voice Support for International Statement on Plant Breeding Innovation

On November 20, 2018

ASTA and seventeen other national organizations representing agriculture and science communities recently joined together in signing a statement in...

ASTA Applauds International Statement in Support of Plant Breeding Innovation

On November 7, 2018

The U.S. and 12 other countries recently signed onto an International Statement on Agricultural Applications of Precision Biotechnology. The...

ASTA Applies for Agricultural Trade Promotion Funding from USDA

On November 7, 2018

In light of the tariffs imposed by the U.S. and China, USDA is dedicating $200 million to develop alternate...

Global Seed News

On October 24, 2018

As a membership benefit, ASTA members may sign up to receive the association’s quarterly international newsletter, Global Seed News....

Global Seed, International, Newsletter

ASTA Pleased with New U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement

On October 9, 2018

On Monday, October 1, the Administration announced an agreement had been reached on a renegotiated trilateral trade deal between...

ASTA, Trade, Trade Agreement, USMCA

Seeds Imported From China Subject to Tariffs

On September 25, 2018

As of September 24, $200 billion worth of goods coming from China to the U.S. are now subject to...

ASTA, China, Imports, Seeds, Tariffs, USTR

ASTA Requests Exemptions for Seeds on Proposed Tariffs List

On September 13, 2018

On September 6, ASTA sent a formal letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer requesting that seeds for sowing...

ASTA, Robert Lighthizer, Tariffs, U.S. Trade Representative

U.S, Mexico Agree to Preliminary “Bilateral NAFTA” Deal

On August 30, 2018

On Monday, August 27, President Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto announced that the U.S. and Mexico had...

Mexico, NAFTA, Trade, Trade Promotion Authority, Trump, U.S. Trade Representative, United States

CIOPORA to Host Plant Innovation IP Workshop Sept. 5-6 in D.C.

On August 30, 2018

On September 5-6, 2018, the International Association of Plant Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit Varieties (CIOPORA) Academy...

CIOPORA, IP, IP Advanced Level Certification, Plant Innovation, Washington D.C., Workshop

SAA Seed Applied Technologies Survey

On August 16, 2018

The Seed Association of the Americas (SAA) will meet in Montevideo next month and they asked the National Seed...

ASTA, SAA, Seed Applied Technologies, Survey

ASTA Participates in APEC Meeting in Brisbane

On August 16, 2018

On August 2-3, ASTA Senior VP of Domestic & International Policy Bernice Slutsky participated in an Asia Pacific Economic...

APEC, ASTA, Australia, Gene Editing, plant breeding, plant breeding methods, Policy

Join USDA for South Korea Trade Mission, November 5-8

On July 31, 2018

USDA is sponsoring a trade mission to South Korea November 5-8, 2018. South Korea is a prime market for...

ASTA, South Korea, Trade, Trade Mission, USDA

European Court of Justice Issues Blow to Ag Innovation

On July 31, 2018

In a disappointing setback to innovation, the European Union Court (ECJ) on July 25 ruled that gene-edited crops by...

ASTA, EU, Gene Editing, Innovation, Plant Breeding Innovation, Seed

ASTA Participates in FAS Ag Attaché Consultations

On July 19, 2018

On July 11, ASTA participated in the annual Foreign Agriculture Service Ag Attaché Consultations in Washington, D.C. Director of...

ASTA, Embassy, FAS, Foreign Agriculture Service, Seed, Seed Industry, USDA

Join USDA for South Africa Trade Mission, Oct. 29-Nov. 3

On July 5, 2018

USDA is sponsoring a trade mission to South Africa October 29 – November 3, 2018. Registration will be open...

ASTA, Seed, Seed Industry, South Africa, Trade, Trade Mission, USDA

ASTA Participates in APSA Executive Committee Meeting

On July 5, 2018

ASTA Director of International Programs and Policy Michelle Klieger represented the U.S. Seed Industry at the Asia and Pacific...

APSA, ASTA, International, Seed, Seed Congress, Seed Industry, U.S.

Informa Releases New Report on Economic Costs of Chinese Delays on Ag-Biotech Approvals

On June 5, 2018

On May 30, Informa’s Agribusiness Consulting Group (Informa) released a study about the impacts of China’s ag-biotech regulatory system...

ag-biotech regulatory system, Agribusiness Consulting Group, ASTA, Informa, The Impact of Delays in Chinese Approvals of Biotech Crops

ASTA Promotes Corn Seed Pilot Project in China

On May 23, 2018

ASTA’s representative in China along with members of the U.S. embassy recently had the opportunity to meet with U.S....

ASTA, Ted McKinney, U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs

ASTA Participates in International Plant Protection Convention and ISF Meeting in Rome

On April 26, 2018

ASTA’s Senior Director, Seed Health and Trade, Ric Dunkle traveled to Rome April 10-19 to participate in the International...

Registration is open for AMSAC Annual Convention, Aug. 8-10

On April 26, 2018

The Mexican Seed Trade Association is hosting its Ordinary General Assembly XLVII and 2018 Annual Convention August 8-10, 2018...

ASTA Participates in IICA Plant Breeding Innovations and Genome Editing Workshop

On April 11, 2018

On April 4-5, ASTA Director of International Programs & Policy Michelle Klieger participated in a two day workshop on...

ASTA, FDA, Gene Editing, IICA, INter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, Plant Breeding Innovations, USDA

USDA Accepting Applications for Japan Trade Mission, June 11-15, 2018

On April 11, 2018

The following is a message from USDA regarding an upcoming trade mission to Japan. For questions, contact Kelly Crist...

ASTA, Japan, Trade Mission

Important Notice Re: Sorghum Seed Shipments to South Korea

On March 27, 2018

The USDA has been in contact with South Korea regarding recent sorghum seed rejections. South Korea has been testing...

ASTA

ASTA Delegation in China for First CNSA Annual Congress

On March 27, 2018

An ASTA delegation is in Beijing for the first annual Chinese National Seed Association (CNSA) Congress, March 23-28. The...

ASTA, Chinese National Seed Association (CNSA) Congress, IP Rights, Seed Certification, Seed Movement

ASTA Calls on Congress to Support Funding for Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) Grant Program

On March 27, 2018

ASTA recently signed onto letters to U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership in support of the Technical Assistance...

ASTA, Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC)

Applications Due TOMORROW for USDA South China Trade Mission in May

On March 12, 2018

Are you interested in joining the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) agribusiness trade mission to China on May 21-25?...

ASTA, South China Trade, USDA

ISTA Enhances Security of International Seed Analysis Certificates

On February 28, 2018

The International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) recently announced enhanced security protection of its orange and blue International Seed Analysis...

ASTA, international seed analysis certificates, international seed testing association, ISTA

ASTA Reps Head to Zurich for ISF March Meetings

On February 28, 2018

ASTA will have a strong presence at the International Seed Federation (ISF) March meetings next week in Zurich, Switzerland....

ASTA, International seed federation, zurich

U.S. Ambassador to China Briefs ASTA’s FuSE Committee

On February 28, 2018

On Monday, February 26, ASTA’s Future Seed Executives (FuSE) Committee hosted a special members-only webinar with U.S. Ambassador to...

China, FuSE, Seed, seed executives

Study Shows Foreign Competitors Increase Investment in Developing Ag Exports While U.S. Lags Behind

On February 12, 2018

According to the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports (the Coalition), the latest analysis of foreign export promotion program...

Registration is Open for the African Seed Trade Association Congress, Feb. 27 – March 1 in Cairo

On January 23, 2018

Registration is open for the 2018 African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) Congress, February 27 – March 1 in Cairo,...

ISTA Accreditation Standard for Seed Testing & Sampling Now Available

On January 23, 2018

The International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) Accreditation Standard for Seed Testing and Seed Sampling is now available. The official...

Join USDA-APHIS & ASTA for a Special Session on Joint Systems Approaches to Phytosanitary Regulations (ReFreSH): this Friday in San Diego

On January 23, 2018

In conjunction with the ASTA Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference in San Diego, ASTA and USDA APHIS are hosting a joint...

Registration is Open for the African Seed Trade Association Congress, Feb. 7 – March 1 in Cairo

On January 9, 2018

Registration is open for the 2018 African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) Congress, February 7 – March 1 in Cairo,...

2018 ISF World Seed Congress Planned for June 3-6 in Australia

On January 9, 2018

Registration is now open for the International Seed Federation (ISF) 2018 World Seed Congress, June 3-6 in Brisbane, Australia....

ASTA Delegation Visits China

On November 14, 2017

An ASTA delegation visited China from October 30-November 3 for meetings with key government and seed industry stakeholders. Meetings...

ASTA, China, Delegation

ASTA Participates in ISF Midterm Meetings in Montreal

On October 30, 2017

On October 15-20, representatives from ASTA and several of its member companies participated in the International Seed Federation (ISF)...

ASTA Comments on IP Issues with Thailand, Colombia

On October 30, 2017

ASTA recently submitted comments in response to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) notice of out-of-cycle reviews...

ASTA Participates in African Seed Trade Association Board Meeting in Kenya

On October 17, 2017

ASTA International Executive Committee (IEC) Member Charles Miller represented ASTA at the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) Board of...

ASTA Supports Increased Funding for Critical Ag Export Programs

On October 3, 2017

ASTA and other members of the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports and the Agribusiness Coalition for Foreign Market...

ASTA Weighs in on Trade Deals

On September 6, 2017

North American Free Trade Agreement Renegotiations of the 23-year old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) officially started on...

Mexico Seed Testing Harmonization Delegation Visits the US

On August 23, 2017

A delegation of four officials from the phytosanitary arm of the Mexico Ministry of Agriculture visited Iowa and California...

USTR Announces First-Round of NAFTA Negotiations

On August 9, 2017

United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer recently announced the first round of negotiations for the North American Free Trade...

Seed Congress of the Americas Now Accepting Registrations and Poster Submissions

On August 9, 2017

Registration is open for the 6th Seed Congress of the Americas, September 5-7, 2017 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia....

Canadian Seed Trade Association Names New Executive Director

On July 13, 2017

The Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) recently announced the selection of Dave Carey as the association’s new Executive Director....

ASTA Hosts Chinese Delegation

On July 13, 2017

A six-person delegation from the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture’s Seed Management Bureau and National People’s Congress is currently visiting...

Share the Story of Plant Breeding Innovation with ASTA’s new Better Seed, Better Life Video!

On July 13, 2017

The latest installment in ASTA’s Better Seed, Better Life initiative is a new animated video, produced in conjunction with...

Seed Congress of the Americas Scheduled for Sept. 5-7 in Colombia

On June 30, 2017

The 6th Seed Congress of the Americas, hosted by the Seed Association of the Americas (SAA) and the Colombian...

Africa Seed Trade Association Visits ASTA

On June 30, 2017

On June 20-26, ASTA hosted a delegation from the Africa Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) Board of Directors. During the...

Seed Congress of the Americas Scheduled for Sept. 5-7 in Colombia

On June 1, 2017

The 6th Seed Congress of the Americas, hosted by the Seed Association of the Americas (SAA) and the Colombian...

ASTA Debuts Pest Risk Database

On May 18, 2017

ASTA’s new Pest Risk Database has been populated with data for more than 60 key pests of concern, including...

ASTA Delegation Visits China

On May 5, 2017

ASTA sent its annual spring delegation to Beijing April 17-22. The delegates met with representatives from the Chinese National...

Register for the Seed Congress of the Americas, Sept. 5-7 in Colombia

On May 5, 2017

Registration is now open for the 6th Seed Congress of the Americas, hosted by the Seed Association of the...

Reminder: Joint U.S./Mexico Phytosanitary Workshop Planned for June 6 & 7 in Nogales, Mexico

On April 21, 2017

ASTA and the Mexican Seed Trade Association (AMSAC) are hosting a joint workshop to address phytosanitary impediments to seed...

ASTA’s International Executive Committee Meets with Cuba Ambassador

On April 21, 2017

On April 3 in Washington, D.C., ASTA leadership and members of the International Executive Committee (IEC) met with José...

Long Awaited International Seed Standard is Good News for U.S. Seed Industry

On April 21, 2017

On April 6, a final International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) for Seed was agreed to during the International...

ASTA Hires Industry Representative in China

On April 6, 2017

In March, ASTA hired a representative in China to participate in meetings with Chinese partners when ASTA is not...

Don’t forget to register for the 2017 ISF Congress in Budapest

On March 24, 2017

Advance registration for the 2017 International Seed Federation (ISF) World Seed Congress will remain open until May 9, 2017. ...

ASTA Represented at African Seed Trade Association Annual Congress

On March 24, 2017

The African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) held its 2017 Annual Congress in Dakar, Senegal February 28 – March 3,...

New Market Information Available on China

On March 24, 2017

The USDA Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) recently released two market reports on China. The reports are helpful tools for...

Join ASTA’s Working Group on Seed Trade

On March 9, 2017

In preparation for potential actions by the new administration on trade, ASTA is forming a working group to focus...

ASTA Delegation Travels to Brazil for Import Regulation Discussions

On March 9, 2017

On February 21 and 22, ASTA Sr. Director for Seed Health and Trade Ric Dunkle and several ASTA member-company...

Save the Date for Joint U.S./Mexico Phytosanitary Workshop-June 6 & 7

On February 23, 2017

ASTA and the Mexican Seed Trade Association (AMSAC) are planning a joint workshop to address phytosanitary impediments to seed movement between...

ASTA Closely Engaged in Trade Discussions

On February 23, 2017

The movement of seed around the globe is a critical piece of a successful domestic seed industry. In 2016,...

New Brazil NI 52 Ad HOC Working Group

On February 9, 2017

Last December, Brazil released a revision to its regulations for importing seed for research and breeding purposes (NI 52)....

U.S. Introduces Legislation to Promote Agriculture Trade with Cuba

On January 26, 2017

The Cuba Agricultural Exports Act HR 525 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday, January 13, by Rep. Rick...

Register for the 2017 ISF Congress in Budapest

On January 12, 2017

Registration is now open for the 2017 International Seed Federation (ISF) World Seed Congress in Budapest, Hungary, May 22-24....

ASTA Welcomes Final Rule on Chile Phytosanitary Regulations

On January 12, 2017

For more than a year, ASTA has been actively engaged in discussions related to proposed phytosanitary regulations in Chile....