Support for U.S. Grains Act

(Posted on 25/06/20)

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) in the USA and North American Export Grain Association (NAEGA) have said they strongly support legislation that would reauthorize and improve the U.S. Grain Standards Act.

The Senate Agriculture Committee will consider the bill reauthorizing the U.S. Grain Standards Reauthorization Act for another five years during a June 24 business meeting.

The Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) establishes official marketing standards for grains and oilseeds under the authorization of the U.S. Grain Standards Act, which was first signed into law in 1916. The existing authorization law, which passed in 2015 and included provisions to ensure uninterrupted export inspections, expires Sept. 30.

“Stakeholders – ranging from producers to grain handlers and processors to end-users and consumers – benefit when (FGIS) and its delegated and designated state and private agencies provide state-of-the-art, market-responsive Official inspection and weighing of bulk grains and oilseeds, and do so in a reliable, uninterrupted, consistent and cost-effective manner,” NGFA and NAEGA said in a June 23 support letter to Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

NGFA and NAEGA said they support reauthorizing all expiring provisions of the current law for another five years, including: the ability for Congress to appropriate funding for standardization and compliance activities that have broad societal benefits, including to farmers and consumers; authorization for the USDA Grain Inspection Advisory Committee to operate; and the current statutory limitation on the amount of money FGIS can spend on administrative costs not associated with direct inspection and weighing activities.

USGSRA 2020 also includes a number of improvements advocated by NGFA and NAEGA that they said will promote increased data and information-sharing to benefit the system and its users, including:

Requiring delegated state agencies to notify users of Official inspection or weighing   services at least 72 hours in advance of any intent to discontinue such services;

Ensuring FGIS user fees are directed solely to inspection and weighing services;

Reporting requests for waivers, exceptions and other specific services received and granted by FGIS; and

Directing FGIS to complete a comprehensive review of the current boundaries for the officially designated grain inspection agencies in the domestic marketplace.

NGFA and NAEGA also highlighted their concerns about ongoing non-tariff trade barriers that have restricted exports of U.S. grains and oilseeds, noting that the reauthorization bill retains the provision that prohibits the “use of false or misleading grade designations” for U.S. grain exports.

The NGFA, established in 1896, consists of more than 1,000 grain, feed, processing, exporting and other grain-related companies that operate more than 7,000 facilities and handle more than 70 percent of all U.S. grains and oilseeds. Its membership includes grain elevators; feed and feed ingredient manufacturers; biofuels companies; grain and oilseed processors and millers; exporters; livestock and poultry integrators; and associated firms that provide goods and services to the nation’s grain, feed and processing industry.

Latest News

Pilbara production record as Rio Tinto releases Q2 results

Rio Tinto has driven performance to achieve 3% YoY CuEq1 growth in the first half of 2026.Chief Executive... Read more

Record iron ore production helps strengthen BHP growth pipeline

BHP have released its Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2026.Chief Executive Officer, Brandon... Read more

Stranded sulphur cargoes in Gulf face mounting corrosion risk, warns Brookes Bell

Bulk carriers carrying elemental sulphur cargoes in the Strait of Hormuz are at significant risk of... Read more

BHP and Faraday Copper sign definitive San Manuel agreement

Further to BHP’s announcement in February, BHP, through a wholly owned subsidiary, has executed... Read more

Urea price dive hits Australian grain suppliers

Australia’s Federal Government's fertiliser support package has come under scrutiny as global... Read more

SSAB pauses work at construction site in Luleå

SSAB has once again paused work at the construction site for its new steel mill in Luleå, Sweden... Read more

Trafigura issues USD500 million senior bond

Trafigura Group Pte Ltd. has announced the issuance of a USD500 million senior Reg S bond with a five... Read more

NGFA welcomes Senate Farm Bill proposal

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) in the USA has welcomed the release of Senate Agriculture... Read more

Agreement paves way to deliver 2.7 million tonnes of additional copper production

Anglo American plc, through its 50.1%-owned subsidiary, Anglo American Sur S.A., and Codelco, have announced... Read more

SSAB and partners launch closed loop steel recycling initiative in US

SSAB Americas, The Greenbrier Companies and Alter Trading are partnering on a circular economy project... Read more