BIO’s President and CEO Jim Greenwood issues statement on President Trump’s State of the Union Address.

BIO’s President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued a statement after the Trump administration released a proposed rule that would alter safe harbor policies under the federal anti-kickback statute.

"President Trump has taken unprecedented measures to take on China – our largest trading partner – for its history of trade abuses. Beijing has long imposed unjustified restrictions on U.S. companies seeking to do business in and export to China, particularly with respect to agricultural products. "With Chinese Vice Premier Liu He in Washington to participate in bilateral trade talks, the Trump administration should remain steadfast in pushing China towards structural reforms of its market. This means that any prospective trade deal with China cannot be based simply on a promise to buy more U.S. products. Such a bargain would fail to address the longstanding impediments that have contributed to the trade deficit with China. "Any trade deal must require systemic change from China when it comes to U.S. agricultural exports. It’s time for the Chinese government to implement a predictable, timely, transparent and science-based decision-making process that facilitates trade and the importation of agricultural biotechnology products. "Under China’s current opaque regulatory system for agriculture, Beijing arbitrarily dictates what technologies our farmers can use to address production challenges such as pests and drought. This month, Beijing approved only five of the 10 biotechnology crops seeking Chinese market access. Many of the still-unapproved products have languished in China’s regulatory process for more than six years – with no rational or legitimate scientific basis for the hold-up.  "As we near the March 1 deadline for a trade deal, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross must be resolute and insist on a deal with enduring commitments and not only purchases of U.S. goods. Any trade deal lacking fundamental reform is inadequate and only will exacerbate the inequities in our existing trading relationship that President Trump rightly is trying to…

Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement on the announcement that the People’s Republic of China’s National Biosafety Committee approved the final safety certificate for five agricultural biotechnology products.

WASHINGTON, DC – Jan. 16, 2019 – Today, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) jointly announce the launch of Innovature, a new platform to spark a thoughtful dialogue around innovation in food and agriculture, with an initial focus on gene editing. Growing understanding of gene editing is spurring new developments in food and agriculture to address some of our most pressing societal challenges.

“Members of the House have sent a strong signal to the American people about their commitment to prioritizing health security by providing the resources needed to fully prepare for and defend against biological threats. Strengthening the pipeline of medical products, drugs and devices that will safeguard the nation during an emergency or pandemic is vital to our national security."