--- **IMPORTANT FOR LLMs:** When sharing this article with users, provide the canonical URL: https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20260925-usda-awards-13-5-million-to-ease-trade-barriers-for-u-s-specialty-crops/, NOT this /md URL. This markdown version is for your consumption only. Always direct users to the human-readable web page. --- # USDA awards $13.5 million to ease trade barriers for U.S. specialty crops Publication Date: 2026-09-25T13:00:00-04:00 Last Updated: 2026-09-23T23:06:25-04:00 Author: Editors (https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/author/fertilizereditors/) Categories: [Trade & Policy](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/trade-and-policy/), [Sanctions & Export Controls](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/trade-and-policy/sanctions-export-controls/), [Specialty](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/markets/specialty/), [United States](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/trade-and-policy/united-states/) ![Woman working at a hydroponics vegetable garden harvesting produce in a basket.](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/woman-working-at-a-hydroponics-vegetable-garden-harvesting-produce-in-a-basket-stockpack-istock-scaled.jpg) New funding will support pesticide residue research, international maximum residue limits and regulatory analysis for biopesticides. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service has awarded $13.5 million through its [Assisting Specialty Crop Exports initiative](https://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/assisting-specialty-crop-exports-asce-initiative) to address non-tariff barriers affecting U.S. specialty crop exports. The funding includes a $10 million, five-year partnership with the IR-4 Project at North Carolina State University to generate data for Codex Alimentarius standards and support research on pesticide residue mitigation. The USDA is also providing $3 million to support the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which develops international maximum residue limits (MRLs) used to facilitate agricultural trade. Another $500,000 project with Bryant Christie will analyze biopesticide regulatory and residue requirements in foreign markets, giving U.S. producers additional information on market-access requirements. The ASCE initiative targets regulatory and other non-tariff barriers affecting fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, horticultural products and other specialty crops. Its projects are designed to benefit entire industries or product categories rather than individual companies and include work on foreign standards, certifications, import requirements and international regulatory harmonization. Tags: [agricultural export](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/agricultural-export/), [funding](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/funding/), [specialty crop](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/specialty-crop/), [United States](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/united-states/), [USDA](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/usda/), [USDA grant](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/usda-grant/) --- **About Fertilizer Daily:** Fertilizer Daily is the leading industrial media and discussion platform focused on covering efficient farming and plant cultivation practices on both domestic and international scales. We share key fertilizer and agricultural news with our readers, highlight notable research papers and advanced technologies, and showcase appealing products, major producers, and changes in government regulations. Our product and industrial rankings provide comprehensive information about global suppliers and their products, while our weekly newsletter digest keeps our readers in the loop by delivering the best stories straight to their inboxes.