EU Exploring Import Restrictions That Could Include U.S. Soy

By Ryan Hanrahan

The Financial TImes’ Andy Bounds reported this past Sunday that “the EU wants to block imports of certain foodstuffs made to different standards to protect its farmers in an echo of U.S. President Donald Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ trade policy.”

“The European Commission will agree (this) week to explore greater import limits, according to three officials, a move that would raise tensions with trading partners. Early targets could include U.S. crops such as soybeans which are grown using pesticides EU farmers are not allowed to use,” Bounds reported. “‘We have very clear signals from the parliament, very clear signals also from the member states and from our farmers: Whatever is banned in the EU, it should be banned in the EU, even if it is an imported product,’ health commissioner Olivér Várhelyi said in an interview last month.”

“The EU bans many pesticides because they damage plants or animals — even as its health agency has ruled that some are safe to ingest at low levels,” Bounds reported. “The EU plan is included in a Vision for Agriculture road map drawn up by farm commissioner Christophe Hansen. An official with knowledge of the document plans said it referenced the need to abide by international rules.”

“‘We are only talking about the most hazardous pesticides and there will be an impact assessment to protect competitiveness before any decisions,’ one official said, adding that ‘we need coffee and mangoes and avocados,’” Bounds reported. “Várhelyi said pesticides using carcinogens, mutagens, or endocrine disrupters should not be allowed into the bloc on imported food. ‘If science says it is not safe, then we shouldn’t have it. If we want to be scientifically based, then science is universal. So we have to make sure whatever is imported complies with this.’ One such substance is paraquat, a herbicide banned in the EU but used in the U.S. on crops including soybeans.”

Bloomberg’s Jorge Valero reported that “the commission plans to avoid blanket bans and proceed on a case-by-case basis when deciding about toxic pesticide use, taking into account market realities and the country of origin, an EU official said. To that end, it will launch an impact assessment this year to consider the effects of any decision on the EU’s competitive position and the international implications, including compliance with World Trade Organization rules.”

Trump Says Move Would Only Hurt EU

Valero reported that “EU farmers have been protesting across Europe over the past year about the increasing burdens of the bloc’s climate and environmental rules. As a result, they have been fighting a trade deal concluded with the Mercosur bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay because of the lower requirements in those nations.”

“But this latest EU plan risks triggering pushback from President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly accused the EU of treating the U.S. unfairly,” Valero reported. “In calling last week for reciprocal tariffs on U.S. trading partners, the Trump administration specifically said it planned to take into account non-tariff barriers to trade, which could include the bloc’s regulations.”

Reuters’ Andrea Shalal reported that “U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday shrugged off the European Union’s reported push to block imports of U.S. soybeans and other foods made to different standards, warning such a move would only hurt Europe itself.”

“Trump, speaking to reporters after a quick trip to Daytona Beach for the Daytona 500 car race, said the U.S. was sticking to its plans to start implementing reciprocal tariffs,” Shalal reported. “… Asked about the report earlier, a White House official earlier said Trump was fighting for fair and reciprocal trade and would stand up for American farmers. ‘We will continue to look to open markets all over the world for high-quality American products,’ the official said.

EU Exploring Import Restrictions That Could Include U.S. Soy was originally published by Farmdoc.