USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service :GAIN Reports from Friday, August 28, 2020

The following Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) reports were released on Friday, August 28, 2020.           Armenia: Draft Amendments to EAEU Regulation on Packaging Notified to WTO On July 27, 2020, Armenia notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of draft amendments to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Technical Regulation (TR) on Safety of Packaging via G/TBT/N/ARM/87. The draft measure amends conformity assessment procedures, brings the TR in line with the EAEU Treaty as well as updates the TR based on the practice of its implementation since 2012. The public comment period for the draft will close on September 24, 2020. Interested U.S. parties are encouraged to share their comments and concerns with the National Institute of Standards and Technology at ncsci@nist.gov. For potential inclusion in the U.S. official position, please send your comments by September 10, 2020. Canada: Overview of COVID-19 Impacts on Canadian Agriculture Canada’s effective national pandemic response has helped Canada’s food and agriculture industries settle into a relatively stable ‘new normal’ operating environment, despite acute disruptions early in the COVID era. Canadian food and agricultural industries appear to have avoided many of the dire predictions made in the spring of 2020, and the largest bilateral agricultural trade relationship is functioning relatively smoothly in spite of the continued border closure. European Union: New EU Organic Regulation Entering Into Force in 2021 Regulatory Update The European Union adopted its updated Organics Regulation in 2018. The Regulation is set to enter into force on January 1st, 2021. This report gives an overview of the main regulatory changes to occur and highlights those that may impact U.S. exporters of organic products. The Agricultural Committee in the European Parliament and other stakeholders within the organic sector have called for the new Regulation to be delayed, citing a need for more time to prepare for the changes that the new Regulation will bring. The European Commission and Member States already held several discussions on a possible delay of the regulation’s entry into force but no decision has been made yet. India: COVID-19 in India - Weekly Port Situation Update  Weekly report as of August 28, 2020, of COVID-19 impact on Indian port operations. India: Update on GAIN Report IN2020-0108 Highlighting Details on New Government of India Order for Genetically Modified-Free Certificate on Imported Food Products  GAIN IN2020-0108 reported information on Government of India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) new order for genetically modified-free certificate on imported food products. This report is an update to inform readers that on August 28, 2020, FSSAI provided additional verbal clarification that it does not regulate animal feed and therefore its order of August 21, 2020 will not apply to any listed commodities imported for animal feed. All other information remains the same. Netherlands: Dutch Ministry Abandons Controversial Feed Measure to Limit Nitrogen Emissions A proposal by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Quality to limit the addition of proteins in feed concentrates for dairy cattle in an effort to reduce Dutch nitrogen emissions led to strong opposition from the farm sector. In May 2020, Dutch Agriculture Minister Schouten announced that she intended to temporarily limit the use of proteins in feed as of September 1 (until the end of 2020) in order to attain a reduction of 0.2 kilotons in nitrogen emissions. Through this measure, the Ministry hoped to create space for the construction of 75,000 new homes this year (which also generates emissions). In the end, however, the Ministry elected to scrap the feed measure due to a recent period of drought in the Netherlands. Research from Wageningen University indicated that the feed measure would not have successfully reduced nitrogen emissions as more protein would need to be added to cows’ diets in order to make up for lower levels of protein in grass and ensure animal health. Russia: Draft Amendments to EAEU Regulation on Packaging Notified to WTO On July 24, 2020, Russia notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of draft amendments to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Technical Regulation (TR) on Safety of Packaging via G/TBT/N/RUS/102. The draft measure amends conformity assessment procedures, brings the TR in line with the EAEU Treaty as well as updates the TR based on the practice of its implementation since 2012. The public comment period for the draft will close on September 24, 2020. Interested U.S. parties are encouraged to share their comments and concerns with the National Institute of Standards and Technology at ncsci@nist.gov. For potential inclusion in the U.S. official position, please send your comments by September 10, 2020. Thailand: Rice Price - Weekly  Export prices further increased 1-3 percent due to tight domestic supplies and continued exports to African countries. Turkey: Turkey Bans the Import and Production of an Additional Nine Active Substances and Restricts the Usage of Seven Active Substances in Plant Protection Products  The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry announced that the production and import of an additional nine active substances which are used in the production of plant protection products will be banned over a transitional period. The Ministry also announced the restriction of the usage of seven active substances. Turkey: Livestock and Products Annual In Turkey, feed costs are still the biggest concern for livestock businesses, accounting for 80 percent of total expenditures. According to livestock producers, sufficient integration between livestock producers and feed producers have not been established well and feed markets are unsteady. In 2020, cattle imports are estimated to be 350,000 head which is 46 percent less than 2019 when 689,076 head of feeder cattle valued at $672 million were imported. In 2020, despite a growing population, meat production is estimated to be the same as 2019 due to shortage of quality feed supply due to the high prices, restrictive policies on feeder cattle imports, which were imposed at the end of 2019, and insufficient production policies which causes low carcass yields. Turkey imported 6,552 CWT of meat in 2019, which is 89 percent less than 2018 due to pressure from domestic producers to limit cheaper imports. All imported meat in 2019 was beef.