U.S. Agriculture Trade:  Overview and Update on Current and Emerging Issues

Sponsored by the Agricultural and Food Law Consortium

Topic:

gilliland

The U.S. agriculture sector is highly competitive in the global marketplace and has been a source of strength for the U.S. trade balance.  Over the past quarter century, the negotiation of trade agreements, such as the WTO’s Uruguay Round Agreement and NAFTA, have increased market access for U.S. farm exports and strengthened the rules that govern global trade.  This success has also brought challenges, not only to import-sensitive farm segments, but also to exporting commodities that find themselves the target of foreign retaliation.  Recently, China threatened retaliatory tariffs on a range of major U.S. commodities, in response to U.S. threats of action against China’s intellectual property practices.  These steps followed new U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, solar panels, and washing machines, which prompted Chinese dumping and countervailing duty investigations against U.S. sorghum exports.  This seminar will review recent developments in U.S. agriculture trade, including the rising risks of a trade war with China, as well as the renegotiation of NAFTA and the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.  It will also take a closer at what’s happening in the WTO as well as the prospects for new trade deals.

Participation:

This webinar was recorded on May 16, 2018.  To listen to a recording of the webinar, please click here.

Presenter:

John Gilliland is an international trade attorney with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, in Washington, D.C., where he advises clients on a range of international and regulatory matters, with a particular focus on agriculture.

Prior to joining Akin Gump, he served as International Trade Counsel to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, where he was responsible for oversight of U.S. international trade policies and disputes.  Before his work for the Senate Finance Committee, he was a Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR).  He’s currently an Adjunct Professor of Law at American University’s Washington College of Law.  He received his law degree from the University of Alabama and his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University.

Research & Materials:

Presentation