jan-feb-2020

ADVOCACY REPORT As we enter 2020, there are several issues, both within our nation and internationally, of importance to California agriculture and to the almond industry. Currently, Washington, D.C. is consumed with both the impeachment and ongoing developments with Iran, which continue to impact and influence everything that unfolds in the nation’s capital. Moreover, this is an election year, which always interjects additional uncertainty into the policymaking process. Continuing at an ever-steady pace, the almond market is projected to grow by $4.3 billion this year. Almonds remain California’s largest agricultural export and one of the country’s top export commodities, making trade policy a very important aspect of our industry’s continued growth. The status of various trade negotiations remains a top concern. There are other regulatory and legislative issues to watch, including negotiations on Phase Two of the China and U.S. agreement and the progress of the agriculture labor legislation in the Senate. Below are the highlights of the top issues facing the almond industry in 2020. USMCA President Trump’s signature trade policy initiative, the USMCA, promises a more secure future in trade between the United States and its two closest neighbors. Increased and secure access to these two markets will be critical to almond growers, particularly as trade with other global markets continues to be unpredictable. The Senate passed the USMCA on January 16, after a bi-partisan majority voted in favor of the agreement in the House in December 2019. USMCA is expected to 2 4 A L M O N D F A C T S