USTR includes agriculture in negotiating objectives for an EU deal

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has included agriculture in its negotiating objectives for a free trade deal with the European Union, which could put negotiations with the bloc in doubt before they officially begin. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said last November that the EU would not engage in a scoping exercise -- a necessary preliminary step before the formal launch of trade talks -- with the U.S. if USTR included agriculture in its objectives. Despite the EU’s...