Browse Data and Analysis

Soybeans from the United States are once again eligible to enter South Africa. After a mid-summer drought that caused a 35 percent drop in production, South Africa needs to import soybeans to supplement domestic production and maintain crushing demand.

South Africa has suspended anti-dumping duties on poultry from Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Poland, and Spain for a period of twelve months, but the duties remain in place for U.S. poultry.

On June 29, 2022, the European Commission (EC) approved one genetically engineered (GE) crop (maize) for food and animal feed. The authorization was published in the European Union’s Official Journal on July 1, 2022 and remains valid for 10 years.

On April 29, the European Commission launched a public consultation on "legislation for plants produced by certain new genomic techniques,"

On August 17, 2021, the European Commission (EC) approved seven genetically engineered (GE) crops (3 corn, 2 soybean, 1 rapeseed, and 1 cotton) and renewed the authorizations for two corn and one rapeseed crop used for food and animal feed.

On April 29, 2021, the European Commission published a report titled, “Study on the status of new genomic techniques under Union law and in light of the Court of Justice ruling in Case C-528/16.”

This quarterly report covers January through March 2021 and provides details on the status of the EU Green Deal objectives and strategies including the Farm to Fork Strategy (F2F), Biodiversity Strategy, the Climate Target Plan, the EU Methane Strategy, and the Circular Economy Action Plan.

On March 27, 2021, a new EU regulation went into force to enhance transparency of risk assessment in the food chain by increasing the independence of scientific studies, strengthening the governance of the European Food Safety Authority, and developing comprehensive risk communication.

In 2020, Dutch wood pellet imports reached a new high, totaling $511 million. The United States was the leading non-European Union (EU) supplier to the Netherlands.

On March 16, 2021, the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) announced plans to review the tariff structure of poultry.

As part of the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the European Commission announced that it would review the European Union’s policy on the promotion of agricultural products both inside and outside the Union

On March 25, 2021, the European Commission published the EU Organic Action Plan for 2021-2030