Water Level at Panama Canal Lake Reaches Historic Low for Start of Dry Season

Daily traffic at the canal is down by nearly 40% compared to last year Gatún Lake, the reservoir that enables the operation of the Panama Canal, is at its lowest water level ever for the start of a dry season, as reported by the New York Times. The extreme drought affecting the region appears likely […]

Agri-Food Associations Navigate the “Jungle” of EU Sustainability Reporting Regulations

Industry webinar explores key features of the CSRD and ESRS On January 24, 2024, the INC attended a webinar on EU corporate sustainability reporting regulations organized by the Agri-Food Chain Sustainability Roundtable, a group of European agri-food industry associations established in March 2022 to exchange information on sustainability-related legislation. The purpose of the meeting was […]

Shipping Disruptions Continue in Red Sea

Commercial vessels transiting the region remain under threat Disruptions in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes continued this week as Houthi rebels defiantly continued their attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea despite strikes by US-led forces against targets in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen. The latest alert issued by the U.S. Department […]

Marketing Orders: January 2024

USA: Temporary Relaxation of Requirements for California Raisins The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an interim rule that temporarily changes the requirements for raisins covered under the Federal marketing order for raisins produced from grapes grown in California. For the 2023/24 crop year, the minimum requirements for substandard and maturity dockage in the marketing […]

Food Safety Update: January 2024

California: Private Applicator Certificate (“Brown Card”) Changes Under new regulations effective as of January 1, 2024, individuals currently certified as private pesticide applicators are required to take and pass the revised initial Private Applicator Certificate (PAC) Examination to demonstrate competency with the revised private applicator standards in 40 CFR Part 171. For more information, see […]

Latest Trade News and Agreements: January 2024

Brazil: Almond Imports from Argentina Allowed for First Time Brazil and Argentina recently reached an agreement to allow the import of almonds from Argentina into Brazil. The recently announced phytosanitary requirements for Argentine almonds will come into force on February 1, 2024. Under the new guidelines, a phytosanitary certificate issued by Argentina’s plant protection authority […]

Sustainability Update: January 2024

EU: Council Adopts Negotiating Position on Sustainable Packaging Rules On December 18, 2023, the Council reached an agreement (“general approach”) on a proposal for a regulation on packaging and packaging waste. The proposal requires that all packaging be recyclable and that the presence of substances of concern be minimized. It also sets labelling requirements, sets […]

Red Sea Attacks Disrupt Global Supply Chains

Shipping companies re-route vessels and impose surcharges After a spike in attacks on commercial vessels, shipping firms are facing a difficult decision: they can send their ships through the Red Sea, risking attacks by Houthi rebels and inviting significantly higher insurance premiums, or re-route them around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 10 days to […]

EU and US Reach Deal to Extend Pause on Tariff Dispute

The tariff suspension will remain in force until the end of March 2025 Under an agreement announced on December 19, 2023, the European Union and the United States will extend the suspension of tariffs until March 31, 2025 in the context of a longstanding steel and aluminum dispute. The dispute dates back to 2018, when […]