WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) 13th International Marketing Conference and 56th Annual Membership Meeting, is Feb. 15-17 in Sarasota, Florida, U.S.

The meeting will focus on topics impacting global grain trade and markets both in a general session and business meetings of the Council’s Advisory Teams.
Confirmed speakers include:
 
-A keynote presentation about the 2016 political climate and how it may impact trade policy, including the approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, by political analyst and publisher of The Cook Political Report, Charlie Cook.

-A look into the potential impact that the finalized Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could have on grain exports by Ambassador Darci Vetter, chief agricultural negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative.

-The changing farm market in Argentina and the work of MAIZALL, the international maize coalition, by Alberto Morelli, first vice-president of MAIZALL and former president MAIZAR, and Martin Fraguio, executive director of MAIZAR.

-Insights into both short- and long-term factors affecting the world’s climate cycle by Joel Widenor of the Commodity Weather Group.

-An examination of NAFTA’s long-term impact on North American grain trade by panelists including USGC Regional Director of the Western Hemisphere Marri Carrow, USGC Director in Mexico Julio Hernandez and USGC Consultant in Canada Neil Campbell.
 
More about the meeting is available online at www.grains.org or on social media using the hashtag #grains16.