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Multi-state food and ag organization letter to the White House on agriculture innovation and trade issues

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<span style="font-size: 14.4px; line-height: 24.48px;">Now more than ever, American agriculture needs your continued engagement with China&rsquo;s President Xi Jinping on agricultural innovation and trade. The undersigned organizations embrace innovation to continue reliably supplying our valued customers in China and in other markets around the world. Sustainably meeting the challenges of global food security is important not only for China, but for all countries, and requires access to innovation and to markets. For these reasons, we ask you to make securing positive action on pending biotechnology issues a priority when you meet with President Xi in Washington, D.C. later this month.&nbsp;</span></p>

Dear Mr. President:

Now more than ever, American agriculture needs your continued engagement with China’s President Xi Jinping on agricultural innovation and trade. The undersigned organizations embrace innovation to continue reliably supplying our valued customers in China and in other markets around the world. Sustainably meeting the challenges of global food security is important not only for China, but for all countries, and requires access to innovation and to markets. For these reasons, we ask you to make securing positive action on pending biotechnology issues a priority when you meet with President Xi in Washington, D.C. later this month.

Your intervention with President Xi last year on biotechnology issues created much-needed momentum in the bilateral relationship, establishing a commitment to strengthen and elevate the dialogue on innovation in agriculture. This significant outcome led to Chinese approval of agricultural biotechnology products and eased a significant cause of disruption in corn trade between the United States and China. However, much of the momentum gained in 2014 has since been lost, as China’s Ministry of Agriculture continues to delay approvals and has proposed new regulations that threaten to extend timelines for approvals of biotech products even further.

Read the Multi State Association's Letter to President Obama in its Entirety