The World Academy of Agricultural Sciences (WAAS) notes the positive progress made during the 8th round of China-US economic and trade consultations and welcomes the planned establishment of an Agricultural Working Group under the China-US Trade Council.

In May this year, China and US economic and trade teams reached consensus on addressing selected non-tariff barriers and market access matters. Both sides agreed in principle to include relevant products within the reciprocal tariff reduction framework of "30 billion for 30 billion". Since then, pragmatic and technical exchanges have continued on agricultural issues. The two sides intend to set up the Agricultural Working Group, co-led by the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Office of the United States Trade Representative, with participation from relevant regulatory authorities of both countries. The Working Group will hold exchanges on two-way agricultural market access and regulatory coordination, with its inaugural meeting planned before the end of 2026. China will use this communication channel to continue encouraging the United States to appropriately address China’s relevant concerns in agriculture.

Agriculture forms the foundation of human survival and development. In the AI era, the global food system continues to face multiple challenges including climate change, supply chain volatility and resource constraints. Advances in agricultural science, smooth agricultural trade and regulatory mutual trust help safeguard global food security. As major global agricultural producers and consumers, China and the United States may benefit themselves and the wider world by addressing agricultural differences through equal dialogue and exploring mutually beneficial cooperation. Such efforts can benefit producers and consumers in both countries, and offer useful support for stabilizing global food markets and advancing sustainable agriculture. WAAS hopes that under the guidance of the Heads of State of the two countries, the China-US agricultural dialogue mechanism can move forward steadily. Pragmatic exchanges may help deepen mutual understanding, manage divergences and bring positive momentum to global food security governance.

The World Academy of Agricultural Sciences is an international agricultural science organization incorporated in the United States, with an independent legal entity established in China. Committed to agricultural research, technology transfer and international academic exchange, WAAS stands ready to participate in relevant exchanges in a professional capacity. Drawing on its global scientific network, the Academy may provide technical and informational support in areas such as agricultural standards, digital agriculture, AI-enabled farming, food safety regulation and sustainable agriculture. It seeks to help build a scientifically informed, transparent platform for bilateral agricultural dialogue and contribute the expertise of the scientific community to global agricultural transition and food security.

WAAS holds that food security is a shared issue for all humankind. Dialogue, science-based approaches and mutual benefit represent a viable path to tackle global agricultural challenges. The Academy will continue to follow future discussions of the China-US Agricultural Working Group and promote the application of agricultural science to foster an inclusive and sustainable global food system.