**Queen Elizabeth has given her formal approval to pulling Britain out of the European Union, setting the stage for a potential U.S.-U.K. trade deal.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says ‘the withdrawal agreement has received royal assent, adding we’ll leave the EU January 31st.

Gregg Doud, chief U.S. ag negotiator, stresses the importance of a new trade pact with Britain, telling agrimarketing.com, when the flag drops, we'll be off and running in discussions with the U.K.

**The European Parliament's trade committee has voted in favor of a free trade agreement with Vietnam paving the way for a Parliament vote next month.

According to the National Pork Producers Council, Vietnam represents the top FTA priority for U.S. pork producers, especially as they battle African swine fever and need a safe, reliable and affordable source of pork.

A USDA grant aims to start talks between Vietnam and the U.S.

**The United Nations declares 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health kicking off awareness efforts.

The USDA says plants make the oxygen we breathe and give us 80% of the food we eat, but plants are under attack by invasive pests that destroy up to 40% of the world’s food crops and cause $220 billion in trade losses each year.

The United Nations’ wants everyone to work together to protect plants against the introduction and spread of invasive pests.

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