THE PORT ANGELES GLOBE: 09/09/17

Saturday, September 9, 2017

From the Governor's blog page: Range anxiety? Help for electric-vehicle drivers is on the way

WSDOT awards $1 million to double number of fast charging stations
POSTED 9/ 6/ 17 (link source)

For many people, the idea of driving a car powered by a battery seems a little risky. While the traditional gasoline and diesel powered vehicle can travel hundreds of miles before requiring a quick stop at a gas station, electric vehicles (EVs) typically need to be recharged every 80 to 200 miles depending on the model and driving conditions. For commuters and road-trippers, EVs don’t always seem like a practical choice.
Yet EVs are an important part of Washington’s efforts to electrify the state’s transportation system and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There were about 8,000 electric vehicles registered in Washington in 2013, and Gov. Jay Inslee has set a goal of increasing that number to 50,000 by 2020. The state has launched numerous efforts to help expand and promote the purchase and use of electric vehicles, and is also working to ensure more fast-charging stations are available along major commuter and travel corridors to keep EV drivers moving conveniently and reliably.
The latest effort comes from the Washington State Department of Transportation, which is awarding $1 million in grants to install electric vehicle fast-charging stations along some of the state’s most traveled freeways by June 2019. The new stations will ensure that EV drivers won’t go more than 30 to 50 miles on those roads without finding a public charging station.
“We need to make electric vehicles a viable option for Washington drivers, and an important part of that means making it easy for drivers to charge and go,” Inslee said. “This is an exciting next step in our efforts to provide drivers cleaner transportation options.”
The 15 new charging stations will be built at retail locations along Interstate 5 between Everett and Chehalis, as well as along Interstate 82, Interstate 182, U.S. Route 395 and Interstate 90 to connect the Tri-Cities to the state’s highway network of chargers.
Partnerships are crucial to the project and LeMay — America’s Car Museum is one of the future highly-visible charging locations planned along the I-5 corridor in Tacoma.
“LeMay — America’s Car Museum is just as much about the history of the automobile as it is its future,” ACM Education Manager Debbie Kray said. “We’re pleased to partner with Forth, EVgo, Tacoma Power and the city of Tacoma’s Sustainability Office to provide fast electric vehicle chargers at the museum while raising awareness of green energy vehicles through future educational programs and exhibits.”
The state funding comes from WSDOT’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure pilot program, which is paid for by a portion of EV drivers’ registration fees. The state funds in turn help entice private investors to support the charging stations. Through significant partnership matches, WSDOT leveraged the $1 million in pilot project funds for more than $2.5 million in total infrastructure value.
The pilot project expands and strengthens the West Coast Green Highway initiative to promote the use of cleaner fuels along the 1,350 miles of I-5 from British Columbia to Baja, Calif.
The new publicly-accessible DC fast-charging stations will accommodate most makes and models of EVs. It adds the combination-type charging equipment needed to recharge American and European cars, such as the Chevy Bolt EV and the BMW i3.
The stations will build on Washington’s electric highway network, which opened to the public in 2012. Within just a few months, these electric highway chargers displaced 13,500 gallons of gasoline.
When complete, the grant projects will more than double the number of existing fast chargers, communities served and accessible miles of range along Washington’s highways.

The grant recipients are:
Energy Northwest with Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Transportation Alliance (EVITA): Six Greenlots charging stations will be installed to bridge the charging gap between Tri-Cities and I-90; includes chargers in Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, Connell, Prosser and Union Gap/Yakima along I-82, I-182 and US 395. WSDOT awarded $270,000, and there was a $465,000 match.
Energy Northwest with EVITA: Three Greenlots charging stations will be installed to bridge the charging gap on I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass; includes chargers in Vantage, Ellensburg and Cle Elum. WSDOT awarded $135,000, and there was a $201,000 match.
Forth Mobility, I-5 Corridor: Six EVgo charging stations will be installed to fill gaps and provide redundancy along I-5 in Chehalis, Lacey, Tacoma, Federal Way, SeaTac and Everett. WSDOT awarded $595,000, and there was a $866,689 match.

In other news from Olympia...

AG FERGUSON FILES LAWSUIT TO BLOCK TRUMP’S DECISION TO ABANDON “DREAMERS”
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 6/ 17 (link source)

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today filed a multi-state lawsuit co-led by Washington, New York and Massachusetts, seeking to halt President Donald Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The president’s decision to end protections for nearly 18,000 so-called “Dreamers” in Washington state, and about 800,000 nationwide, is both unconstitutional and illegal, Ferguson’s lawsuit alleges.

In 2012, President Barack Obama created the DACA program to allow Dreamers — who were brought to the country as children — to remain in the country as long as they meet certain criteria. Those criteria include that they don’t have a criminal record or otherwise pose a threat to public safety.

The administration announced on Tuesday that it would end the DACA program in six months, exposing Dreamers to deportation.

The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of New York with 15 other attorneys general, alleges that the President’s decision to end DACA not only causes immediate harm to hundreds of thousands nationwide, it also directly injures colleges and universities, employers and state economies by removing the protections that allowed Dreamers to study and work legally without fear of deportation.

“Allowing nearly 18,000 Dreamers to live and work in Washington makes our communities stronger and better places to live,” Ferguson said. “I will do everything in my power to ensure that they can continue to feel secure in what is, for many of them, the only home they have ever known.”

"As states like Washington step up to defend the young men and women who call this nation home and are working hard to contribute to our communities and economy, it is imperative that Congress steps up as well,” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “There is no justification for inaction, indecision or equivocation. The time has come for each and every member of Congress to take a stand, demand a vote, and pass the Dream Act."

The DACA program has allowed more than 17,800 Washington Dreamers to work legally, acquire driver’s licenses, open bank accounts, access lines of credit, purchase homes and cars and receive in-state tuition at public universities, among other benefits. Those abilities benefit the Dreamers, but also benefit the state’s economy and enhance its diversity.

One estimate cited in the lawsuit found that DACA-eligible residents contribute approximately $51 million annually in state and local taxes in Washington. Another estimate suggests that ending DACA would, over a 10-year period, cost the Washington economy $258 million in lost tax revenue.

Dreamers work for some of Washington’s largest companies as software engineers, financial professionals, customer service representatives and more. DACA recipients also work for state agencies, which also spent time and resources to train them.

Many Dreamers attend Washington colleges and universities. For example, more than 100 dreamers currently attend the University of Washington, and more than 150 are enrolled at Washington State University.

Washington state businesses Amazon, Microsoft and Starbucks have written declarations supporting Ferguson’s lawsuit, as have representatives for the University of Washington, Washington State University, Columbia Basin College and Big Bend Community College. The state departments of Social and Health Services and Ecology, as well as the office of the State Treasurer have also contributed declarations detailing the value of Dreamers in their workplaces.

Legal arguments

Today’s lawsuit challenges President Trump’s decision to end DACA on several Constitutional and legal grounds.

Among them, Ferguson alleges that President Trump’s action violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution because his decision is in part motivated by discriminatory animus.

The President has made numerous statements on the campaign trail and in office disparaging Mexicans — among them, calling them “criminals,” “thugs” or “bad hombres.” Nearly 80 percent of Dreamers are of Mexican descent.

Trump’s decision to end DACA also violates Dreamers’ Constitutional due process rights, the complaint alleges, with the possibility that personal information Dreamers have provided to the federal government could be used against them and their families for immigration enforcement purposes.

Ferguson’s suit also alleges that the President’s action violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

State attorneys general have already successfully sued the Trump administration under the APA.

The Regulatory Flexibility Act protects small businesses, non-profits local government jurisdictions. When a decision impacts small businesses, the Act requires that the Executive Branch allows businesses to give their input.

Washington business and jurisdictions invested resources into hiring Dreamers, but were not provided the opportunity to comment on the President’s decision to end DACA.

Joining Washington, New York and Massachusetts in filing the lawsuit are Connecticut, Delaware, New Mexico, Illinois, Iowa, Hawaii, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Wing Luke Civil Rights Unit Chief Colleen Melody and Assistant Attorney General Marsha Chien are leading the case for Washington.

In 2017, the Attorney General’s Office has prevailed in four times against the Trump Administration. Every court to have issued a decision has ruled in favor of the Washington Attorney General’s Office in cases it has brought against the Trump Administration.

11 governors urge Congress to take immediate action to protect DACA recipients
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 7/ 17 (link source)

OLYMPIA - Gov. Jay Inslee and 10 other governors sent a letter to congressional leaders today urging them to take immediate action to protect young people threatened with deportation following President Donald Trump's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The letter urges Congress to recognize the contributions that nearly 800,000 DACA recipients make to state economies and communities, and urges leaders to pass legislation preventing the Trump administration from deporting them. The full text of the letter is below:

September 7, 2017

Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, Speaker Ryan, and Minority Leader Pelosi:

We urge you to take immediate action and pass legislation that will provide an opportunity for young adults who are subject to the policy directive issued by President Obama on June 2012; the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), to remain in the United States before the program fully expires on March 5, 2018.

The action President Trump has taken to rescind the DACA program is not an answer to our nation's ongoing need for permanent and comprehensive immigration reform. The nearly 800,000 DACA-recipients, who are currently working in the United States or attending a university or college, should not be penalized for the gridlock in Washington that has blocked real solutions from moving forward. They are hard-working individuals who are contributing to their communities, paying taxes, and in, in many cases, even serving in the U.S. military.

Rescinding DACA will not only put these young people in limbo, it will also harm businesses in our states who have hired, trained and invested in them.

DACA recipients must reapply every two years, and must show that they have not been convicted of a felony, certain significant misdemeanors, or three or more misdemeanors of any kind. They must pass background and fingerprint checks, and pay a fee of $495. If approved, they are given work permits to be able to sustain themselves and in many cases their families without fear of deportation. They are not violent criminals but instead hard working young people, who were brought to the United States as young children.

We are a nation of laws, but we are also a nation of immigrants, compassion and common sense. We strongly urge you to work together to take immediate action to ensure that these young people can continue to live, work and contribute to the country they have called home for most of their lives.

L&I reaches agreements with Hertz, Thrifty providing SeaTac workers nearly $2 million in back pay
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 6/ 17 (link source)

Tumwater – An agreement between the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Hertz and Thrifty over back pay owed under SeaTac's minimum wage law will mean checks for thousands of dollars for numerous workers at the car rental companies' SeaTac locations.
In total, the nearly $2 million agreement is one of L&I's largest over back pay in recent history.
A total of 157 workers filed L&I claims for wages owed between Jan. 1, 2014, when the $15 minimum wage took effect, and Sept. 30, 2015. The latter date is when the state Supreme Court ruled the ordinance covered companies at the airport.
"People have a right to get paid what they've worked hard for; when they don't, L&I can help," said L&I Director Joel Sacks. "Now that this agreement is in place, we're moving ahead to get this money into the hands of the people who worked hard for it. The funds will make a real difference for these workers and their families."
The Hertz and Thrifty workers clean, maintain, and prepare rental cars for customers. They also drive shuttles to locations around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Hertz and DTG Operations Inc. (Thrifty) formally signed the agreement Aug. 18. The companies will pay anywhere from a couple thousand dollars up to $30,000 per employee, including interest. The back wages alone total $1.51 million, with another $458,651 in interest. Under the agreement, the state waived any associated penalties and there was no admission of wrongdoing by the companies.
The companies will send L&I checks for individuals, who must sign a form freeing the employers from any further claims. If a worker can't be contacted, L&I will hold the checks for a year before sending them to the Department of Revenue as unclaimed.
The agreement covers additional claims for back wages other workers at Hertz and Thrifty may file through L&I. It also ends any other outstanding legal proceedings on this issue that involve L&I.
Sacks credited the work of L&I industrial relations agents for their work on reaching a settlement. "The agents met with employers and workers to investigate the claims fairly and reach a resolution," he said.
Last year, L&I received 5,440 wage complaints and returned $2.8 million to workers in enforcement of the state's wage-and-hour laws.
Labor & Industries investigates all wage-payment complaints it receives, as required by state law. Workers can file a wage complaint online or by calling 1-866-219-7321.

AGRICULTURAL REPORT

From the UN NEWS CENTER: Global food prices fall in August as cereal output heads for record high – UN (link source)

7 September 2017 – Global food prices dipped in August, mainly as the prospect of bumper cereal harvests pushed up expectations for larger grain inventories, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today.

A news release said that the FAO Food Price Index declined 1.3 per cent from July, ending three months of consecutive increases.

However, the Index – tracking the monthly change in international market prices for five key commodity groups – remained 6 per cent above its value a year earlier.

The drop in August was largely driven by a 5.4 per cent decline in cereal prices, reflecting a sharp fall in wheat prices as the outlook for production in the Black Sea region improved.

FAO raised its forecast for global cereal production to a record 2,611 million tonnes. Worldwide stocks of cereals are also expected to reach an all-time high by the close of seasons in 2018, according to the latest FAO Cereal Supply and Demand Brief, also released today.

The new estimates reflect larger anticipated wheat harvests, as improved production prospects in Russia more than offset downward revisions made for Canada and the United States, as well as higher maize and barley outputs in Brazil and Russia. Global rice production in 2017 is also now forecast to reach a record high.

Meat prices dropped 1.2 per cent in the month, while sugar prices slipped by 1.7 per cent – driven by favourable cane harvest prospects in leading producers Brazil, Thailand and India, as well as by weaker international demand in the wake of higher tariffs imposed by China and India.

But vegetable oil prices rose 2.5 per cent, led by rising quotations for palm, soy, rapeseed and sunflower oils.

Dairy prices also rose 1.4 per cent from July, led by greater demand for butterfat in Europe and North America.

USDA: Secretary Perdue Announces USDA Improvements for Customer Service & Efficiency
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 7/ 17 (link source)

(Washington, D.C., September 7, 2017) – Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the realignment of a number of offices within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in order to improve customer service and maximize efficiency. The actions involve innovation, consolidation, and the rearrangement of certain offices into more logical organizational reporting structures. The changes build on the reorganization Perdue announced in May. As with the previous realignment, today’s announced restructuring comes with the intention of handling any staffing changes through attrition or reassignment.
“On my first day as secretary, I told our employees that I wanted USDA to be the most effective, most efficient, and best managed department in the federal government. These changes will move us further toward that goal,” Perdue said. “We are already providing our customers with great service, and our career professionals are among the best in the federal government, but we can be even better. This realignment represents further progress on the improvements to USDA we made earlier this year, and will help us better meet the needs of farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers, while providing increased accountability to American taxpayers.”

The realignments include:

Advancing Trade

In keeping with Congress’ directive in the 2014 Farm Bill and to advance agricultural trade, the Department in May created an Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA). The importance of this addition is underscored by recent U.S. advances in international trade. USDA anticipates that U.S. farm exports will total $139.8 billion this fiscal year, the third-highest tally in history. We have also seen the return of U.S. beef to China after a 13-year hiatus, while significantly, an agreement was reached to allow the U.S. to export rice to that market for the first time ever. In addition, South Korea has lifted its ban on imports of U.S. poultry and poultry products, including fresh eggs, and an agreement was reached with Colombia to allow for expanded market access for U.S. exports of paddy rice. Just this week, Vietnam announced that it will resume importing American distiller’s dried grains (DDGS).

While reviewing options for improving coordination on trade and international activities, USDA determined that the Codex Alimentarius program (U.S. Codex Office), currently housed in the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), will be moved to the newly created TFAA mission area. The U.S. Codex Office is an interagency partnership which engages stakeholders in the development of international governmental and non-governmental food standards. The focus of the Codex Office aligns better with the mission of TFAA.

Driving Rural Development

The USDA reorganization announced in May created a new position of Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development (RD) and situated it to report directly to the secretary. Since then, RD has been leading efforts to promote economic development and revitalization, job growth, infrastructure, innovation, and quality of life issues for rural America.

RD has spearheaded efforts to improve the rural economy through the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. There have been meetings in which participants held a wide-ranging dialogue, discussing – among other issues – access to broadband, community infrastructure, community mental and physical health, workforce training and veterans’ employment, agricultural research, regulatory reform, improved access to capital, and increased local control of decision-making. Four working groups have been established to gather recommendations on issues regarding the quality of life in rural America; the rural workforce; innovation, technology, and data; and economic development. These working groups have met at least 10 times. In addition, Secretary Perdue has hosted five Task Force meetings – either with Cabinet members or in listening sessions with the people of American agriculture during his “Back to Our Roots” RV Tours. By doing this he has heard the opinions of many hundreds of citizens. A report with concrete actions on statutes to be enacted or repealed; regulations to be promulgated, amended, or eliminated; and programs and policies to be implemented, streamlined, or discarded will be provided to President Trump in late October.

In order to develop fresh, creative solutions to reinvigorate rural America, the new structures announced today establish an Innovation Center within RD. The RD Innovation Center will be tasked with evaluating the impacts of the business, housing, and utilities programs provided by the Department. Through such evaluation, USDA will be better informed as to where additional investments will be most impactful when it comes to RD program delivery. RD will be continuously identifying best practices in economic development, measuring performance of programs, and promoting collaboration across agencies.

Concentrating Industry Engagement

The realignment announced in May reconstituted and renamed a mission area headed by the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC). Under the newly-organized FPAC mission area, the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Risk Management Agency, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service were realigned to report to the renamed Under Secretary. The improvements announced today make changes to some programs to fit them into more logical places to help better coordinate service to USDA customers.

Rather than have commodity procurement in multiple agencies of the USDA, the International Food Commodity Procurement program currently in the Farm Service Agency (FSA) will merge into the domestic Commodity Food Procurement program in the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). This action will consolidate commodity procurement activities across the USDA and allow for greater efficiencies in the acquisition of commodities.

Also, instead of having commodity grading and inspection in multiple USDA agencies, the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) will be merged into AMS. Currently, GIPSA and AMS both carry out grading activities and work to ensure fair trade practices. Specific to fair trade practice work, the new structure will contain a program area composed of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act Program and the Packers and Stockyards Program, as well as some other regulatory activities AMS is currently directed to carry out. In addition, this new program area will have the responsibility to carry out Warehouse Act functions currently being provided by FSA. The grain inspection activities will become a separate program area in AMS. These improvements will provide a unified USDA presence focused not on programs, but on customers and the services they are provided.

In addition, FPAC is currently undertaking a customer engagement review to better understand what is working and what needs improvement so that USDA can best support farmers and producers today and in the future.

Reducing Redundancies

While creating the Farm Production and Conservation mission area, it became apparent that across USDA there are redundancies and inefficiencies in the mission support activities. Presently some agencies maintain redundant administrative support functions, including human resources, information technology (IT), finance, procurement, and property management. For example, there are 22 employees in the department that are identified as Chief Information Officers (CIOs). Having such a large number of CIOs creates redundancies throughout the Department when it comes to leadership on IT activities and services and results in unnecessary layering of leadership and direction. Therefore, mission support activities will be merged at the mission area level across USDA. Through these mergers, the mission areas will not only increase operational efficiencies, but also maximize collaboration between agencies that serve similar customers. This has happened in many of the support activities in mission areas already and is working well.

Focusing Nutrition Efforts

In order to better serve the nutritional needs of USDA customers, the new blueprint calls for merging the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) into the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). This makes sense because the two are closely intertwined and serve a similar mission. CNPP works to improve the health and well-being of Americans by developing and promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs of consumers. FNS seeks to end hunger and obesity through the administration of 15 Federal nutrition assistance programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Instead of having a politically-appointed administrator of CNPP, the agency will be headed by a career associate administrator. Incorporating CNPP into FNS will improve administrative efficiencies and allow closer integration of the work of these two agencies.

Engaging Customers

In an effort to create a consistent customer-focused outreach effort, the USDA will create an Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement by grouping the following offices together: the Office of Advocacy and Outreach; the Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships staff; the Office of Tribal Relations; and the Military Veterans Liaison. Each office will retain its own character and identity, and continue to communicate with its core constituency, but this realignment will ensure a more coordinated and consistent approach. This will result in improved service and enhanced engagement with USDA’s customers.

Realigning Pest Management

The new alignment moves the Office of Pest Management Policy (OPMP) from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to the Office of the Chief Economist. OPMP coordinates the USDA role in the pesticide regulatory process and related interagency affairs. Its focus does not coincide with the mission of ARS and can be better situated in the Office of the Chief Economist.

USDA, TDA: More Food Help on the Way for Households Hit by Harvey
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 7/ 17 (link source)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2017 – Families affected by Hurricane Harvey will soon be able to receive food packages containing nutritious, high-quality foods--100 percent grown and produced on farms in the U.S.--known as USDA Foods, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Texas Department of Agriculture announced today.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the food boxes families will receive are a short-term measure designed to address an immediate need for food until a longer-term solution is ready to be put in place.

“People in Texas are hurting,” Perdue said. “And we at USDA are working hard with the State of Texas and our private sector partners to make sure that households displaced in the aftermath of this epic storm get the food they need.”

The Disaster Household Distribution program is approved to start on Sept. 8. The Texas Department of Agriculture will work directly with its partners, the Feeding Texas and local food banks, to issue food boxes to participants located in presidentially declared disaster areas.

“Texas has a true friend in the USDA and Secretary Perdue,” Commissioner Miller said. “In my conversations with him during this crisis he has assured me that Texas will have whatever it needs to recover and he’s made it happen. I can’t thank him enough.”

The food banks will utilize their current network of pantries to distribute foods in areas affected by Hurricane Harvey. Each of the packages will contain 25-30 pounds of USDA Foods and will be based on existing shelf-stable items in identified food banks.

For more information on the program, please visit: www.squaremeals.org or contact: HarveyInfo@texasagriculture.gov.

Programs such as the Disaster Household Distribution are a good option for states when normal commercial food supply channels such as grocery stores have been damaged or destroyed. Each state has a supply of USDA Foods on hand for programs such as the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) that can be used during emergencies. The USDA can also arrange for food to be shipped from other states to meet increased needs during a disaster. The USDA will replace the foods used for the Disaster Household Distribution so that the state continues to have USDA foods available for those in need.

The food packages announced today are the latest in an ongoing series of USDA actions taken to help Texans cope with the storm and its aftermath that also include a waiver to allow all disaster-affected schools to provide meals to all students at no charge and be reimbursed at the free reimbursement rate through September 30.

In addition, local disaster organizations, such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Southern Baptist Men continue to utilize USDA Foods to serve hot meals in congregate shelters. Individuals seeking more information about this and other available aid should dial 2-1-1 (for callers from Texas) or 1-(877) 541-7905. For more information about Texas SNAP, visit YourTexasBenefits.com .

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service administers 15 nutrition assistance programs, including the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which together comprise America's nutrition safety net. For more information on FNS assistance during times of disaster, visit www.fns.usda.gov/disaster.

USDA, USTR Announced that Vietnam Reopens Market to U.S. DDGS Exports
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 6/ 17 (link source)

(WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2017) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) today announced that the government of Vietnam has notified the U.S. that it will resume imports of American distillers dried grains (DDGS). In December 2016, Vietnam suspended imports of U.S. DDGS after reported detections of quarantine pests in U.S. shipments. Prior to the suspension, Vietnam was the third-largest market for U.S. DDGS, with exports valued at more than $230 million in 2016. The resolution of this issue also opens the way for corn and wheat shipments, which were restricted due to previous treatment requirements.

DDGS are a co-product of ethanol production and are used as an ingredient to provide protein and energy in animal feed. Between 2007 and 2016, annual U.S. exports of DDGS worldwide grew from $392 million to $2.16 billion.

The DDGS ban is one of several agricultural and other priority issues raised in connection with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Washington in May 2017, where he met with President Trump as well as Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Following the series of meetings, the two governments released a joint statement pledging to work closely together to resolve the DDGS issue.

“This is great news and I am pleased that the U.S. exporters will once again be able to ship DDGS to Vietnam, which is one of the fastest-growing global markets for U.S. agriculture,” said Secretary Perdue. “Expanding markets around the world can only help American agriculture.”

“We welcome the resolution of this issue, which will help in our efforts to balance trade and deepen our trade relations with an important Asia-Pacific partner,” said Ambassador Lighthizer.

Following the suspension, representatives from USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) engaged in technical discussions with Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development regarding alternative treatment options that would allow U.S. exports to resume. APHIS and USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Federal Grain Inspection Service then partnered with industry to host a delegation of Vietnamese officials to view the U.S. fumigation and export infrastructure. USTR, FAS, and U.S. Embassy officials also met with their counterparts in Vietnam.

The U.S. Government continues to work with Vietnam to address other priority agricultural issues. These include Vietnam’s adoption of Codex Maximum Residue Limits for veterinary drugs, as agreed during Prime Minister Phuc’s May visit, as well as removal of Vietnam’s ban on “white offal.”