USDA Supports US Specialty Crop Exporters And Science-based International Trade Standards

By Godson Umejiego, Bureau Chief, The Americas

Yesterday, the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announced new awards under the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports (ASCE) initiative, a USDA partnership with growers that addresses non‑tariff trade barriers facing US specialty crops. The latest awards address priority issues for American exporters by improving global standards and increasing market access.

The initiative houses:

• A US$10 million, five-year partnership with the IR‑4 Project at North Carolina State University to generate Codex‑ready residue data and advance residue‑mitigation research, strengthening market access for US specialty crops.
• A US$3 million grant to support the Codex Alimentarius Commission at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in developing maximum residue limits (MRLs), which are essential to facilitating global trade.
• A US$500,000 project with Bryant Christie, Inc., will develop a comprehensive analysis to provide US agricultural producers with clearer insight into biopesticide regulatory and residue requirements in foreign markets.