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Trump Tightens Screws on Canada… President Trump, amid a flurry of trade talk ahead of today’s Aug. 1 deadline to make a deal, announced new tariff increases including on Canadian goods. According to Reuters, the President “…on Thursday signed an executive order increasing tariffs on Canadian goods to 35% from 25% on all products not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.”
In addition, goods shipped to another country to evade the new tariffs via transshipment would be subject to 40% levies. According to Reuters, “The move - which Washington linked in part to what it said was Canada’s failure to stop fentanyl smuggling - is the latest blow in a months-long tariff war which Trump initiated shortly after taking power.”
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said the President may reconsider if Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, ‘turns on the charm’ and removes retaliatory measures.
AFBF seeks greater engagement with MAHA… The Make America Healthy Again Commission is expected to soon release its “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy.” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy DuVaull is concerned farmers have been largely absent from the conversation saying quote, “We were troubled that the commission did not seek growers’ input when drafting the initial assessment. By not reaching out to the men and women who help keep America’s pantries stocked and not relying on sound science, the commission published an inconsistent and sometimes inaccurate assessment.” DuVall did note that commission members have engaged with agriculture since the draft was created.
NCGA on MAHA… Chesterfield, MO -- In a new survey, American corn growers say they would face higher costs and reductions in crop yields if they were to lose access to key herbicides like atrazine and glyphosate. The survey comes after the Make America Healthy Again Commission released its preliminary report questioning the safety of the two herbicides.
“These results are in line with what I am hearing in conversations among farmers,” said Illinois farmer and National Corn Growers Association President Kenneth Hartman Jr. “We are concerned that claims about herbicides in the pending MAHA recommendations could remove access to the tools we need to safely and sustainably produce a crop.”
Hartman added that growers hope the president will intervene and ensure that the MAHA Commission follows the science and defers to the EPA on matters related to pesticide policy and regulation. -source: National Corn Growers Association news release
Bobcat Workplace Lauded by Newsweek… WEST FARGO, N.D. - Bobcat Company, a global equipment, innovation and worksite solutions brand, was selected as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for 2025 by Newsweek. In the annual rankings, Bobcat was recognized in seven distinct award categories, reflecting its commitment to meaningful work, employee wellbeing and continuous career development for more than 5,000 employees in the U.S.
“We are honored to be recognized among Newsweek’s list of America’s Greatest Workplaces 2025,” said Stacey Breuer, vice president of human resources at Doosan Bobcat North America, Inc. “These awards are a reflection of the culture our employees help create every day - one where our employees are empowered to do great work and careers are built with intention.”
In facilities throughout the U.S., Bobcat employs more than 5,000 people who are responsible for designing, building and supporting the industry’s most advanced compact equipment and worksite solutions. As a leading manufacturer, Bobcat’s roots began in America’s heartland and this legacy continues with Bobcat’s North American headquarters in West Fargo, North Dakota. -source: Bobcat news release
Your weekend read… Sex, Lies and Green Energy: Biodiesel Fraudsters Pull $145M Heist
Buy 35 million gallons of biodiesel on the cheap, sprinkle in green fairy dust and sell, baby, sell. Everybody parties until the clock strikes midnight.
From 2009 to 2012, a New Jersey kingpin with a Midas touch, three seemingly ordinary Indiana brothers and a host of underlings skinned U.S. taxpayers for $145 million by cooking the books on a pipeline of renewable fuel. The recipe replaced corn and soybeans with deception, death threats, diamonds, fine art, fast cars, violence and a tower of lies.
Welcome to a carnival of depravity and the ultimate green energy shell game.
-Farm Journal wordsmith Chris Bennett offers a compelling write-up of this devious scheme. Click here to read the full article on AgWeb.com…