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U.S. Soybean Export Council

USSEC

USSEC is a partnership of key stakeholders representing soybean producers, commodity shippers, merchandisers, allied agribusinesses and agricultural organizations.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Elena Panichi (Head of Unit Agriculture and Rural Development), Koen Dillen (Head of Unit Agriculture and Rural Development)

13 Oct 2025 · US soybean market – Trade session

Meeting with Flavio Coturni (Head of Unit Trade)

13 Oct 2025 · State of play of EUDR, soya and agriculture.

Meeting with Johannes Van Den Bossche (Cabinet of Commissioner Christophe Hansen)

3 Jun 2025 · Exchange of views on the current and prospective trade situation between the EU and the US

Response to Application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products

15 Mar 2022

Attached please find feedback from the U.S. Soybean Export Council.
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Response to Sustainable food system – setting up an EU framework

26 Oct 2021

The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) represents the interests of U.S. soybean producers, commodity shippers, merchandisers, allied agri-businesses and agricultural organizations in international markets. In the 2019/20 marketing year the U.S. soy industry shipped 4.6 million metric tons of soybeans to the European Union (EU). USSEC welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to this important initiative. We applaud the objective of the Commission’s Sustainable Food System initiative to ensure that all foods placed on the EU market become increasingly sustainable. As we face increasing demands from a growing population, it is imperative that we all increase our efficiency and reduce our footprints. However, it is important to consider all aspects of sustainability which include environmental, social and economic. USSEC recognizes that the EU has the right to transform the food system within its internal market to establish criteria for what best harmonizes the core tenets of sustainability with the conditions faced by the EU supply chain from farm to fork. The United States, as do many other countries, has its own definitions, approaches and policies on sustainable agriculture. USSEC does not believe the EU can or should determine for the rest of the world what sustainable agriculture is or how it should be promoted, nor do we believe it has the authority to dictate how other countries produce food. We seriously question whether imposing such sustainability requirements on imports can be accomplished “in compliance with EU international commitments, particularly in the WTO” as the Impact Assessment claims. Instead, USSEC believes that countries and jurisdictions should discuss and agree on the compatibility and mutual recognition of the sustainability processes of different agricultural production systems. U.S. soy exports to the EU comply with the EU’s import requirement regarding food safety and all regulatory requirements. However, we are concerned about the European Commission’s intention, expressed in the Inception Impact Assessment to “help promote European standards in the food system internationally” and the policy option to impose “legitimate and proportionate requirements on sustainability for imports of food”. This has the potential to create illegal obstacles to trade. Today nearly all of the soy exports from the U.S. to the EU have been verified sustainable under the U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP) which is recognized by the European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC) as meeting its Soy Sourcing Guidelines. The U.S. soy industry has a strong record of sustainable production as evidenced by Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture’s National Indicators Report, which will be updated later this year. In addition, based upon the National Indicators Report, the U.S. soy industry has set the following continuous improvement goals for 2025: to reduce land use by 10%, soil erosion by 25%, energy use by 10% and greenhouse gas emissions by 10% compared to 2000. Good stewardship, new technology, and innovative best practices allow U.S. soybean farmers to grow more food on less land using fewer resources, delivering the sustainable outcomes our customers desire. USSEC supports the U.S. government’s Climate-Smart Agriculture initiative and the Coalition for Sustainability Productivity Growth, launched by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack at the recent U.N. Food Systems Summit. The EU is an important food producer, exporter and importer. Indeed, the EU has an increasing food and agricultural trade surplus with the U.S. and with the rest of the world. Many of the animal food products which the EU consumes and exports are dependent on the import of plant proteins (such as soy) from the U.S. and other countries. Creating more obstacles for such imports has the potential to negatively impact European livestock and poultry farmers, processers, traders and, ultimately,
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