The Office of the United States Trade Representative on March 1 released President Biden’s 2021 trade policy agenda. Anyone who has helped put together this kind of publication can tell you its development is no small undertaking. This is particularly true when such a public work must come to print in fewer than 45 days after President Biden was sworn in, and before the president’s trade representative nominee, Katherine Tai, has even cleared the U.S. Senate. Many long days, nights, and weekends were sacrificed to reduce the agenda to its present form.

The authors would be thrilled we are discussing it here. Or anywhere. Or at all.

What strikes me about the Biden trade agenda is not how different it is from former President Trump’s agenda, but instead, just how similar the two are in a couple of key respects. To be clear, there are differences—emphasis on climate change and on how trade policy impacts racial equity for starters—but some of the policy signals are indistinguishable from what you might have seen beneath Trump administration letterhead.

The Biden administration is fully signaling that China’s coercive and unfair trade practices remain on the punch list for reform. In their words, they will use “all available tools” to curb China’s abusive behavior, but they will use them in a “more systematic approach than the piecemeal approach of the recent past.” There is no denying that plenty of criticism for Trump’s trade policy toward China exists, but what is more difficult to deny is the fact that the need to address Chinese unfairness is now solidly front of mind for the new (and any subsequent) administration and, for what it is worth, Congress now and congresses future. In other words, standing up to China’s trade practices is now mainstream.

It remains to be seen exactly what President Biden’s aforementioned “more systematic approach” to trade with China will be, but the talking heads all seem to agree that the underlying goal, without regard to the tools used to get there, is to solidify the manufacturing sector here at home.

That should sound familiar. And it should be good news for Association members. President Trump’s America First policy resonated with working class Americans, and Biden will appeal to some of that same populist sentiment when his emissaries push to enforce stronger labor protection rules in the newly minted USMCA, for example, and when they insist that similar language be included in next generation trade agreements (or as a condition of revoking Trump’s existing tariffs elsewhere). The goal here, of course, is a more level playing field for domestic manufacturers, and hopefully a re-onshoring revival.

The Biden agenda also includes language explicitly signaling that farmers and ranchers will benefit from improved trade policy on 46’s watch. The new administration plans to “stand up” for farmers and “expand [their] global market opportunities,” but doesn’t want to burden the ag community with “erratic trade actions that were taken without a broader strategy.”

Again, short on details, but the rhetoric supporting farmers is a good start. I suspect farmers would gladly swap the focus on tariffs for something else, but it appears we will all have to wait and see what that something else will be. For now, we can be relieved that maintaining a level playing field for our farmers is still on the international trade objectives radar.

Perhaps no administration talked more about selling American farmers’ products elsewhere and Chinese cheating than President Trump’s. It appears those conversations are far from over. That is a good thing, whether you’re a conservative, progressive, or something in between.

Starling will lead a session at the Summit focused on what’s ahead for agriculture in terms of the economy, politics, and the sustainability movement. Meet him there.

Starling has been the general counsel for a state department of agriculture, a staffer on the U.S. Senate Ag Committee, and Chief of Staff to a U.S. senator. He joined the White House in 2017 as special assistant to the president for agricultural policy. In 2018, he became chief of staff for USDA’s Sonny Perdue. He returned to his home state of North Carolina as general counsel to the state’s Chamber of Commerce.

Rather than venture out, the group will gather at the hotel for a paint party. Participants will work with an instructor to create a 16-by-20 canvas painting. While every piece of art will reflect the same design, each also will be the unique work of the artist.

Participants will receive a “Taste of Kansas City” gift bag and enjoy a lunch prepared by the hotel chef.

The event is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday and costs $99. Eighteen spouses and guests have registered to date.

To learn more, contact Sarah Stevener at 314) 878-2304, or Sarah@FarmEquip.org.

I have no interest in recapitulating the events of these past many months, but I also have no choice but to acknowledge that what happened this past year will influence our operations moving forward.

Among questions we will have to answer:

• Can employers require employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
• Or, might there be a more narrowly defined group of employee requirements based on working conditions?
• If there are no mandates, will policymakers create rules on responding to hot spots that could halt operations?
• What is an employer’s liability around positive COVID-19 cases?

As we face these questions, we are fortunate to face them as part of the čû¶łÊÓÆ”. The Association brings a depth of experience in navigating and influencing the legislative process, and when it speaks on behalf of many hundreds of companies that stretch from coast to coast, it cannot be ignored.

We need the Association, and the Association needs us. We need an organization that focuses on small business issues and the unique needs of shortline manufacturers, and the Association needs the weight of a strong member base.

Of course, the Association’s advocacy work goes beyond current events. As the distribution landscape changes and companies that build mass-produced lines seek exclusivity on dealers’ lots, the Association speaks on our behalf in state houses and industry discussions.

That elevated voice, while essential, is not, in my opinion, the most valuable benefit of membership. What I most appreciate are the opportunities to talk to you.

The Association will continue to plan meetings for members to be together, and I believe what we can accomplish when we are together is limitless. We are overdue for the problem-solving, idea-sharing, partnership-forming experience Association events offer.

As you read in the Feb. 9 issue of Shortliner, the Board of Directors meets this week to discuss how to proceed with Supply Summit 2021. In the meantime, Association staff moves ahead with plans to make this an unforgettable and safe convention. Register today at .

Whether we are navigating a pandemic, influencing policy, building our business, solving a production problem or reacting to developments in the always-changing worlds of agriculture and manufacturing, we are stronger when we face it together.

I look forward to learning with you in Kansas City in April and the months ahead.

Westendorf is the 2021 Association president.

Mask rules remain in effect except when guests are eating and drinking. The order also still requires that patrons be seated to eat and drink and maintain physical distances from groups outside their own.

Given circumstances, the Association is offering members a no-risk registration. Attendees can cancel and receive a full refund as late as the day before the convention begins.

Supply Summit is April 7 to 9 at the Kansas City Downtown Marriott. Register at . Check out the speaking sessions here and the Summit schedule here.

Based on a preliminary conversation with officers of the board, if the Association can host an effective meeting in the context of compliance with COVID-19 restrictions, we will be in Kansas City from April 7 to 9.

“In the past few weeks, I’ve talked to more than a dozen members, and they are all asking, ‘What do we do?’, said Tim Burenga, the Association’s first vice president. “The conversations have been about different issues we are all experiencing related to COVID, rising materials costs, shipping problems, and so on. We have a great need to get together. If we can do it safely, we have to do it.”

The Association is working with the city of Kansas City and the Marriott Downtown to plan a Summit that meets the highest standards of safety and health but offers the highest-impact opportunities to network.

We plan to host the traditional golf and trap events but will pause the exploration of nightlife. We also still plan a welcome reception and encourage members to connect outside of structured convention time. In the meantime, meet the speakers.

Ray Starling: What’s Next for Ag?

Ray Starling is back by popular demand. He joined us for our virtual annual meeting in October to discuss agriculture policy and politics. In April, he will explore three issues that he sees influencing agriculture: economics, the political environment, and trends around sustainability.

Starling joined the White House in 2017 as special assistant to the president for agricultural policy. In 2018, he became chief of staff for USDA’s Sonny Perdue. He returned to his home state of North Carolina in 2019 to serve as general counsel to the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

Michael Bird and Susan Baier: Farmers’ Buying Beliefs and Behaviors

The pair will discuss results of an extensive survey examining how farmers make their buying decisions, including whether they have changed their approach since the start of the pandemic, what resources they tap when considering buying equipment, and their likes and dislikes around product searches online, in person and through print media.

Bird is CEO of Spindustry, a digital marketing agency, and Baier is a marketing strategist and researcher with Audience Audit and one of the most sought-after attitudinal segmentation researchers in the U.S.

Bird, Mike Gonnerman, and Shaunna Jones: Never the Same–Panel on the Post-COVID Workplace

Join experts on human resources, sales and marketing, and manufacturing operations to hear how they envision the future when the dust settles from the pandemic.

After this 60-minute panel discussion, each speaker will lead 60-minute conversations in breakout groups.

Spindustry’s Bird, part of the duo leading the buying behaviors session, will return to the stage to discuss sales and marketing.

Mike Gonnerman, vice president of Mastering Excellence and an alliance partner of Kansas Manufacturing Solutions, will discuss plant operations.

Shaunna Jones, who leads K·Coe Isom’s HR consulting team, will discuss the human element in the workplace.

Mike Gomes: Smart Implements and Data—Creating Value

Gomes will speak to the Tillage Council. He brings more than 25 years experience in digital transformation in agriculture. He is vice president of business development for Topcon.

Beyond Speaker Sessions

If you’d like to see who is signed up for golf at Swope Memorial Golf Course, or the trap shoot at the Kansas City Trapshooters Association, go to . Click on the big “Supply Summit” image, then find more about the events under the “program” tab. You also can see who’s signed up to attend the Summit under the “registration” tab.

Spouses and guests in Kansas City will have a painting party at the hotel. Details continue to take shape.

If you hope to join us at Summit, please register. You can cancel your registration as late as April 6 and receive a full refund. Or, simply ask to be invoiced to delay payment. This will help us assess social distance requirements. If you know you will not be there, tell us by email at Vernon@FarmEquip.org.

Our heads are not in the sand. We will not be irresponsible. But, we are approaching April as if we will see each of you in Kansas City.

Will it be business as usual? That’s unlikely. Will it be valuable? Yes. We will create opportunities for substantive, productive conversations with industry experts and industry peers. We promise you ideas, connections, and solutions.

We understand that every company and every executive will choose what is best in their circumstances. We can only ask that you trust the Association to commit to the highest standards of keeping you safe and healthy. Nothing matters more to us.

When we gather, we will not dwell on events of 2020 but rather discuss how it will shape us in 2021. We are convening a panel to discuss what awaits us in a post-COVID work environment and marketplace.

We also will hear from a former White House insider about what’s ahead for agriculture and the economy. If you joined the Association’s virtual annual business meeting in October, you met Ray Starling then. If you have not yet heard him speak, you are in for a treat.

We are honored that the Supply Summit will serve as the premiere presentation of a body of new data on farmers’ equipment-buying attitudes and behaviors.

The Association will host the Supplier Product Showcase and traditional networking events. Those elements will be staged as health regulations allow.

Register online at , or watch for Summit details in an upcoming issue of Ag Innovator magazine, which is scheduled to print in February. We look forward to seeing you in April.