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Caribbean Basin > Aruba + Barbados + Cayman Islands + Curacao + Dominca + Grenada + Guyana + Saint Kitts and Nevis + Saint Vincent and the Grenadines + Saint Lucia + Trinidad and Tobago

In 2024, Brazil surpassed the United States in cotton production and exports for the first time on record. Brazil's MY2024/25 planted area is also estimated to reach a new record. Favorable prices compared to corn as well as lower production costs have boosted cotton's profitability, making it the preferred choice for second crop planting.

Brazil’s MY 2024/25 total coffee production is forecast at 66.4 million bags, 0.2 percent higher than the previous season. This timid growth comes in the aftermath of a strong period of adverse weather conditions in the main producing regions, which led to a decrease in initial estimates for the season.

The Philippines has been a pioneer within Asia in adopting biotechnology crops. On April 17, 2024, the Court of Appeals (CA) ruling on the Writ of Kalikasan revoked the biosafety permit for commercial propagation of golden rice and directed the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) to cease and desist from commercially propagating and conducting activities relating to Bt eggplant.

Brazil is the second-largest producer of biotech crops in the world, with 131 events approved for plants. For the 2024/2025 crop season, FAS Brasilia forecasts 68.5 million hectares planted with GE traits. Adoption rates for soybeans and cotton reached 99 percent and for corn, 95 percent.

On October 4, 2024, the Philippine Department of Agriculture amended Department Order No. 16 (2024), removing mechanically deboned or separated meat of chicken (HS Code 0207.14.91) from the list of agricultural products subjected to a price-based special safeguard (SSG) measure. T

Post increased its estimate for soybean production in 2024/25 to 161 million metric tons (MMT), from the previous estimate of 160 MMT.

Post forecasts demand for dairy products to increase 2 percent to 3 million metric tons (MMT) in liquid milk equivalent (LME) in 2025.

Milk production in Brazil for 2024 is expected to increase by 1 percent to 25 million metric tons (MMT) and to increase again in 2025 to 25.4 MMT.

On October 17, 2024, the Tariff Changes Committee (CAT) of the Chamber of Foreign Trade (Camex) rejected the request made by the Brazilian Association of Fuel Importers (ABICOM) and the U.S. Grains Council to remove the 18 percent tariff on ethanol imports to Brazil.

On Friday, October 4th the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) announced the departure of Roberto Perosa, the former Secretary of Trade and International Affairs. Luis Rua, former Director of Markets for the Brazilian Association...

In celebration of 200 years of diplomatic relations between Brazil and the United States, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Brazil launched the “Bicentennial Beer”.