U.S. wheat gets tariff-free access into Brazil

Mar 20, 2019

Brazil will import 750,000 metric tons of wheat annually

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

U.S. wheat producers recently gained preferential treatment in a large South American market.

Yesterday during a meeting with U.S. President Trump, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced his country will import 750,000 metric tons (680,250 tons) of American wheat tariff-free annually.

The U.S. wheat industry is celebrating the new export opportunities.

“This is a big win for U.S. wheat farmers, the Trump Administration and members of Congress who have pushed for action on this issue,” Ben Scholz, president of the National Association of Wheat Growers, said in a statement yesterday. “I’m glad to see Brazil fulfill its commitment and look forward to a stronger trading relationship between” the two countries.

The commitment Scholz referenced relates to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

When Brazil joined the WTO in 1995, one of its commitments included allowing 750,000 metric tons of wheat to enter the country duty-free annually from countries that don’t have pre-existing trade agreements.

Brazil also applied 10 percent tariffs on wheat imports from non-Mercosur countries, which are a trade bloc made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

The new U.S. market access into Brazil could have price implications for American wheat producers.

“Any time you can get into a market duty-free, that’s good,” Kim Anderson, a grain marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University, told Farms.com. “Any export demand we can get on our wheat will have a positive price impact. The 750,000 metric tons equals about 27.5 million bushels or one cargo.

“This probably won’t have a major impact on prices, but I think it could have a minor one.”

Video: Women in Ag. The Promotion of Female Farmers through Social Media | Madalyn Thayer | TEDxBGSU

Less than 1% of Americans are farmers. The majority of those farmers are men. Many people have minimal experience with farms and agriculture. High schools are getting rid of their FFA programs and many colleges, including BGSU, do not have agricultural programs or classes. There is a new social media phenomenon where women are making content based on their farming endeavors and gaining lots of traction. Education is the one of the most important parts of agriculture, because the more people know the more they will emphasize with farmers and create policy that benefits everybody. Female farmers have taken to social media sharing their experience in the agricultural world. These women are breaking stereotypes and educating everyday citizens about farming which is extremely important for the future of agriculture. Madalyn is 19 years old and will be gradated with her bachelors degree in communication on December 2024. She lives on a farm and have spent lots of time working in agriculture. She has her own farmers market and love learning about all subjects, especially agriculture. She was on the BGSU Firelands Student government from 2021-2023 as a CCP Ambassador and was awarded the 3&1 communication excellency award in April of 2024. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.