Biodiesel Advocacy Groups and Others Urge Secretary of Commerce to Slow Decisions Down in Argentina

Photo: Civil Eats

Have you ever written an elected official for a cause?  In a past post, I discussed the fact that politicians do read and respond to their constituents.  When I read about politicians receiving letters from advocacy groups (or even fellow politicians), I cannot help but wonder what does that letter say -- exactly?  Further, how does the letter writer express their thoughts on a given cause to motivate action on part of the receiver?  Below is an example of the collaborative effort of both the biodiesel industry and the soybean industry.  Enjoy!



According to a letter from the biodiesel fuel and soybean industry is shown below:

The Honorable Wilbur Ross

Secretary of Commerce

U.S. Department of Commerce

1401 Constitution Ave NW

Washington, DC 20230

Dear Secretary Ross, 

On behalf of the members of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and American Soybean Association (ASA), we would like to request a meeting with you as soon as possible, before the U.S. Department of Commerce finalizes its Changed Circumstances Review of the Countervailing Duty Orders on Biodiesel from Argentina.

When NBB’s Fair Trade Coalition met with you on June 20, you generously offered to meet with the domestic biodiesel industry “at any time.” However, since Commerce issued the preliminary results in the review on July 9, our multiple requests to schedule a meeting with you have gone unanswered. And while we greatly appreciate meeting recently with Assistant Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler, we still hope that you can provide us the same courtesy that you provided to representatives of the government of Argentina and meet with us.

It remains unclear why Commerce is rushing to issue final results when recent developments in Argentina suggest a likely change in leadership and tax policy. As you know, the countervailing duty rates established early in 2018 were needed to redress years of massive subsidies benefiting Argentina’s biodiesel industry. The review of the duty rates must protect the U.S. biodiesel industry and soybean

farmers from any potential resumption of those subsidies and unfair trade practices. It seems clear that Argentina’s tax policies are likely to continue to change, as they have on numerous occasions in recent years. It is far more important for Commerce to make the right decision in this review, rather than a quick decision.

U.S. soybean growers continue to find international markets unbalanced as a result of uncertainty over trade agreements and retaliatory trade practices. Farm income has been cut by half in just the last five years, with the greatest slide occurring over the last two. While U.S. soybean farmers continue to experience reduced demand and lower prices as a result of trade disruptions to address unfair practices by China unrelated to soybean markets, it would be inconsistent and further damaging to relax measures addressing unfair practices by Argentina that harm U.S. soybean oil demand. The farm economy does not need Commerce to rush a decision to benefit Argentina’s farmers and biodiesel industry.

We look forward to meeting with you as soon as possible, before you sign off on a final decision in the review of countervailing duties on Argentine biodiesel.

Sincerely,

Donnell M. Rehagen, CEO

National Biodiesel Board

Davie Stephens, President

American Soybean Association

The world is an interconnected place where industries that may seem not connected at all are in fact tied together in an unusual manner.  The letter above is regarding the agricultural industry.  Although, in other letters, we (the public) learn that industries that are thought to be quite different are in fact dependent on one another. 



This goes to show that the world is more interconnected and complex than is portrayed on television.  When each of us reads and learns more about the interconnectedness, relations between countries (and nations) can more easily be understood.  Furthermore, support by our nation can more easily be accepted and promoted to regions that are seemingly interconnected to us -- financially and politically.