Trade topics are getting some attention in Washington, D.C. Micheal Clements shares more on what the American Farm Bureau Federation is following right now.

Clements: Trade is always a hot topic in agriculture and the American Farm Bureau Federation says there are three issues to watch right now. Dave Salmonsen, AFBF Senior Director of Government Affairs, says President Biden recently signed legislation changing the trade relationship between the U.S. and Russia.

Salmonsen: The first legislation basically stops us from importing energy from Russia. The second bit of legislation revokes what's called ‘permanent normal trade relations’ with Russia. What that means is that we had granted Russia like we grant 160 plus other countries around the world the exact same tariff treatment. So, now the U.S. is free to impose different tariffs going forward on Russia, falling back to our tariff schedule we had with them before they had this status.

Clements: Meanwhile, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai is holding trade dialogues with the United Kingdom.

Salmonsen: These aren't formal trade negotiations, but the U.S. and UK have settled some trade disputes based on the imposition of steel tariffs a few years ago, that's been resolved. Farm Bureau supports having a full-fledged trade agreement with the United Kingdom. Hopefully getting rid of some of their standard barriers they have to various exports, especially meat products. So, we're hopeful that these initial talks will lead to formal trade negotiations sometime soon.

Clements: And, Salmonsen adds the U.S. Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports could be addressed soon.

Salmonsen: We’ve heard from Treasury Secretary Yellen, officials in the National Security Council and the White House, saying it's time to revisit those tariffs to help trade. We in agriculture have been against those tariffs because of the retaliations, and even though they waved a lot of that because of the China-U.S. Phase One agreement, the purchase commitment of that agreement is over and the potential to reimpose tariffs lingers out there.

Clements: Micheal Clements, Washington.