USDA Foreign Agricultural Service,update

The following Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) reports were released on Tuesday, September 15, 2020.  Argentina: Livestock and Products Annual  Argentine beef exports in 2021 are forecast at 760,000 tons carcass weight equivalent (cwe), marginally lower than in 2020. Production is forecast slightly lower on reduced slaughter volume and longer finishing times to add carcass weight in response to changing local and export demands. China is expected to remain the main market with exports to the US continuing an upward trend in response to positive price signals and developing commercial relationships. Belgium: EU Early Alert - Pesticides Review - September 2020  The European Union follows a complex, rolling system of review for use of active ingredients and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in food. For agricultural inputs, U.S. farmers must know early in the process to be able to provide input on their priorities and prevent or mitigate the loss of access to safe chemicals. The information in this document provides interested stakeholders with advance notice of active ingredients under review and highlights which substances may have restricted or non-renewal of approval. This is a quarterly update dated September 2020, including a link to the consolidated version as well. Canada: Canada Further Extends Labeling and Packaging Flexibility On September 4, 2020 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced temporary flexibility in enforcing some Canadian labeling and packaging regulations for pre-packaged meat products. CFIA announced this temporary flexibility, in response to industry challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, will now be extended to December 31, 2020 for both foodservice packaged products and prepackaged meat products. Label requirements associated with food safety are mandatory and businesses must continue to ensure that traceability documentation is maintained. EAEU: Draft BSE Amendments to EAEU Veterinary Requirements Notified to WTO  Russia and Armenia notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of draft amendments regarding Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) veterinary requirements via G/SPS/N/RUS/195 and G/SPS/N/ARM/30, respectively. According to the notification, the draft measure aligns the EAEU BSE provisions with the OIE recommendations. Per Russia’s notification, the public comment period for the draft will close on October 24, 2020. Interested U.S. parties are encouraged to share their comments and/or concerns with USDA’s enquiry point (us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov). For potential inclusion in the U.S. official position, please send your comments by October 12, 2020. The other EAEU and WTO members, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have not yet notified the measure to the WTO. Egypt: Egypt's National Food Safety Authority Decision No 6-2020 - Rules Regulating Food Import Licensing  On August 11, 2020, Egypt’s National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) released Decision No. 6/2020 – Rules Regulating Food Import Licensing, made effective the day following its publication (on August 12, 2020) in the Egyptian Chronicles – Appendix to the Egyptian official gazette (Al-Wakaye AlMesreya); an unofficial translation is included herein. This decision specifies the rules related to the licensing of Egyptian food importers and food establishments importing food and food products. The decision permits the importation of food and food products subject to the importer receiving from the NFSA a food importer license. The National Food Safety Authority shall establish a white list of qualified food importers among those licensed to import. These will benefit from facilitated clearance protocols for imported food consignments, resulting in the reduction of the customs hold period, and the application of reduced sampling frequencies (less than 100 percent) to these consignments. India: COVID-19 in India - Weekly Food Retail Update Weekly report as of September 11, 2020, of COVID-19 impact on India's food retail sector. India: COVID-19 in India - Weekly Port Situation Update Weekly report as of September 11, 2020, of COVID-19 impact on Indian port operations. India: Organic Foods Regulation Amendments Proposed by Government of India  The Government of India’s (GOI) Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed amendments in the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulation, 2017, to update specific provisions on organic food labeling and certification. The draft regulation invites comments from World Trade Organization (WTO) member countries, and the comment period expires 60 days after the notification was published on the WTO website (www.wto.org). India: Government of India Prohibits Fresh Onion Exports  On September 13, 2020, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry prohibited exports of all varieties of onions with immediate effect in order to curtail domestic supply shortages. India: Published Final Standards in Specified Meat Products in Indian Gazette The Government of India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Fourth Amendment Regulations, 2020 in the Official Gazette of India. The amendment regulations relate to standards for a range of meat products such as canned/retort packaged meat products; comminuted/restructured meat products; cured/pickled meat and/or smoked meat products; dried/dehydrated meat products; cooked/semi-cooked meat products; fermented meat products; marinated meat products, and fresh/chilled/frozen rabbit meat. The implementation date is July 1, 2021. Japan: Japan Raises Carbon Intensity Value for Gasoline  Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry increased the greenhouse gas emission value of gasoline to 88.74 g-CO2eq/MJ from 84.11 g-CO2eq/MJ. Following this revision, Japan may further diversify its sourcing of bioethanol for fuel. Mexico: Avocado Annual Mexico is the leading producer and exporter of avocados globally, with nearly 964,000 metric tons valued at over USD 2.4 billion exported to the United States in marketing year (MY) 2019/20 (JulyJune), a historical record for both quantity and value. Production in the state of Michoacán, the only state with U.S. market access, was seven percent higher compared to the previous marketing year, and production and exports are expected to grow even further in MY 2020/21. Despite COVID-19 pandemic challenges to agricultural harvests and supply chains, avocado demand in the United States remained strong and is forecast to increase. Avocados are a significant agricultural product for Mexico, and one of the primary beneficiaries of U.S.- Mexico agricultural trade under the North American Free Trade Agreement (now United States- Mexico- Canada Agreement), with Mexican avocado trade values increasing over 455 percent since its implementation. Mexico: USMEF creates a new event experience in Mexico U.S. Meat Export Federation held a movie night at Mexico City drive-in theater on August 22, 2020. Mexico represents an important market for U.S. Meat. The event showcased U.S. pork with the collaboration of three rising Mexican chefs that created innovative dishes inspired by the 1970s menus available at the drive-in theaters. Romania: Drought Continues to Stymie Romanian Oilseeds Although oilseed growers in western and central Romania benefited from early-summer precipitation, farmers in eastern Romania experienced significant drought conditions throughout the growing season. Based on current crop conditions, average sunflower yields are expected to fall by 17.5 percent, soybean yields will drop by 11 percent, and rapeseed yields will decline by 18 percent in marketing year (MY) 2020/21. In September 2020, the Government of Romania (GOR) approved support payments to partially offset winter crop losses, including $233/hectare (HA) for rapeseed. South Korea: Livestock and Products Annual The COVID-19 epidemic in Korea significantly impacted pork consumption patterns in 2020. Domestic pork, mostly eaten at home, benefited while imports are down as restaurants, primary users of imported pork, are seeing reduced traffic. Cattle producers continue to expand as similar patterns play out in the beef complex with home consumption boosting domestic Hanwoo consumption. Higher beef production will moderate prices into 2021, reducing scope for imports. Taiwan: Taiwan Publishes Draft MRL For Ractopamine in Pork  On September 7, 2020, the Taiwan Council of Agriculture (COA) removed restrictions on the use of ractopamine as a feed additive for imported pork. This report contains an unofficial English translation of the relevant regulation, as well as Taiwan's notification to the WTO SPS Committee of the draft regulation establishing an MRL for pork.  Thailand: Biofuels Annual The current 20-year AEDP 2018 (2018 – 2037) revised down the biofuel consumption target, together with a gradual reduction in biofuel price subsidy between 2020 and 2022. The COVID-19 outbreak is expected to cause a 5 percent reduction in gasoline and ethanol consumption, as well as diesel consumption to a lesser degree. However, demand for biodiesel is expected to increase 10 percent in 2020, driven by the additional mandatory use of B10 and a government incentive price subsidy. Thailand continues to exclude imports from playing any role in meeting biofuel consumption targets with the program’s primary goal to support farm income.