GAIN reports

 

The following GAIN reports were released on May 16, 2024. _______ Brazil: Unprecedented floods in Rio Grande do Sul threaten Brazil's agricultural output Brazil’s Southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul (RGDS), has been impacted by record high rainfall levels, reaching up to 800 millimeters in some regions, leading to unprecedented floods. The death toll reached 145 as of May 12th and nearly 620,000 people have been displaced. A major agricultural powerhouse, RGDS’s agricultural and livestock sectors have been severely impacted. While accurate projections are still unknown, market specialists estimate losses across such key commodities as soybeans, rice, wheat, corn, meat and dairy. Impacts on local food production and possible price spikes are particularly concerning for consumers and policymakers, particularly on rice and dairy products.   China: Guidance on Unofficial Facility Registration Websites for Food and Ag Exports FAS has received inquiries about several websites that offer facility registration to export various food and agricultural products to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Many of these websites, however, are not official PRC government websites. Exporters should register their facilities through official government websites or through a U.S. government agency.   Costa Rica: Coffee Annual FAS/San José projects marketing year 2024/25 coffee production to remain near record low levels, as exchange rate challenges, persistent labor shortages, and above average precipitation forecasts prevent the sector from rebounding. Sluggish export sales in 2024 are exacerbating already challenging financial and agronomic conditions for Costa Rica’s nearly 27,000 coffee growers, who are likely to delay or reduce investments in rust resistant varieties, fertilizer applications, and other cultural practices.   Japan: TRQ Allocation Rates for FTAs in JFY 2023 Since 2018, Japan has implemented three large-scale free trade agreements (FTA) with major economies: the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Japan-European Union (EU) Economic Partnership Agreement, and the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement (USJTA). Under the three agreements, Japan created tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for a selection of commodities and products in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector. This report provides the full list of TRQs and country specific quotas (CSQs) from these three agreements and their respective allocation rates for Japanese Fiscal Year (JFY) 2023. During JFY 2023, the number of TRQs/CSQs which had allocations across the three agreements ranged from 60 to 67 percent.   Japan: Wine Additive Approvals Under the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement In 2019, the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) entered into force. As a result, Japan approved 16 new wine additives that were previously not allowed in wine produced or consumed in Japan.   South Africa: Fresh Deciduous Fruit Semi-annual The cold and wet winter of 2023 provided favorable conditions for deciduous fruit and aided in improved production volumes. Production is expected to grow and improve in quality from MY 2022/23 when fruit was affected by hail damage. Despite pressure on the Port of Cape Town, industry solutions including increased use of Port Elizabeth will bolster the volumes of increased export-quality fruit that is able to reach markets. Post revises MY 2023/24 production of pears and table grapes upwards, while apple production is revised slightly downward on stagnated growth in area. Pear production for MY 2022/23 is revised upwards on updated production estimates and confirmed export figures.   Spain: Cotton and Products Annual 2024 Early spring precipitations in Andalucía came as a relief, refilling water reservoirs. However, this allowed for only a marginal recovery in area planted to cotton, as rains arrived when planting plans were already in place and largely oriented to less water-demanding crops such as winter grains or early spring-planted sunflower. While summer conditions will determine the final size of Spain’s MY 2024/25 cotton crop, the projected recovery should allow for larger exported volumes.   For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.