jan-feb-2020

be signed by the President, and will go into effect as soon as both Mexico and Canada grant final approval. This will signify a hard-fought victory for both the Administration and the California almond industry. Immigration Reform Progress has also been made on agriculture labor reform. California Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren’s bi-partisan agriculture labor bill passed in the House in December 2019. This bill, which is now being considered in the Senate, will continue to take a lot of time and work. Senators Feinstein and Tillis are the key leaders in the Senate. Securing passage of a practical solution to attracting and maintaining a legal, agricultural workforce for farmers in California and across America remains a top priority. China President Trump signed the Phase One agreement with China at the White House on January 15. China agreed to purchase $200 billion worth of American goods in an effort to close the trade imbalance with the U.S. Although the tariffs remain, this is an important step towards solidifying a fair agreement benefitting U.S. agricultural exports, including almonds. It is important to know that United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Gregg Doud publicly mentioned almonds specifically as a purchase covered in the Phase One agreement with China. The Administration expects to begin the next round of talks on the Phase Two portion of the agreement with China in 2020. Japan The trade agreement with Japan went into effect January 1, 2020. Much like the agreement with China, Phase Two negotiations will begin later this year, but the initial phase will reduce tariffs on U.S. almonds to match that for other countries covered under Japan’s existing trade agreements. India Negotiations with India will continue into 2020. Although India lost their GSP benefits in 2019, they remain an important importer of California almonds. This market has been affected by the retaliatory tariffs India imposed on U.S. almonds. The United States is waiting for India to respond to an initial proposal set forth in the current negotiation and USTR indicates that the Administration hopes progress will be made in 2020. Tell your dealer you want Fan-Jets. Contact us at 1-800-BOWSMITH or www.bowsmith.com Fan-Jet Microsprinklers ® Add a Fan-Jet ® line to existing dual line drip Quality & Trust Since 1974 Quality & Trust Since 1974 Precision Rain - Rain when you want it, where you want it. Frost Protection - Fan-Jets can help provide frost protection by raising the ambient temperature by 2-3 degrees. Fan-Jets will allow you to push salts away from the root zone. Tell your dealer you want Fan-Jets. American Made American Owned 2 5 J A N U A R Y – F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0