See how the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement will affect agriculture, manufacturing and steel.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses says that a record number of small businesses—37 percent—reported raising overall compensation in September to compete in a tight labor market.

The Commerce Department said Friday that the trade gap rose to $53.2 billion in August from $50 billion in July. The August reading was the highest since February.

A consulting firm projects the health benefit cost per employee will increase 4.1 percent in 2019. A more stable health care market and technology are contributing to this more modest increase.

The IRS has issued guidance on the business expense deduction for meals and entertainment in response to changes introduced in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The new law eliminated the deduction for expenses related to activities considered entertainment, amusement or recreation.

Association partner Sentry Insurance invites members to a safety training opportunity. Participants will develop action plans for safety management principles and topics such as regulatory compliance, leadership commitment, hazard recognition, and more. The deadline to register is Friday.

If you have a Facebook account, join our conversation about best (and worst) channels for online marketing.

Brian Olson, president of Power Pin, Inc., is the recipient of the 2018 Evelyn E. Rosentreter Standards award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to ASABE standards and the safety of the agriculture industry.

We are pleased to offer, free of charge, a forum where candidates can connect with prospective employers in the shortline industry.

Nearly a dozen companies have joined the Association since the Sept. 11 issue of Shortliner. We welcome them to the Association, and we thank the 15 companies celebrating milestone anniversaries for their ongoing commitment to the industry and the Association.

If you are joining us for the 2018 Marketing & Distribution Convention at the Hilton Minneapolis, here are a few notes to help you prepare. (If you have not yet registered, there’s time! Go to Meeting.FarmEquip.org.)

U.S. business groups sought last week to increase pressure on the Trump administration to retain the existing structure of the North American Free Trade Agreement, urging U.S. officials to keep Canada in the deal.

A group of states has challenged the federal government’s expansion of association health plans (AHPs). Until the case is resolved, the Association has put on hold a plan to survey members about the likelihood that they would use such a plan.

The Federal Aviation Administration predicts a fourfold increase in commercial drones by 2022, to 450,000 from 110,000 today. The machines are becoming safer, with longer battery life, the FAA says.

The NCGA has named a new CEO. He has extensive experience in public policy and a career history that includes the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The Marketing & Distribution Convention in Minneapolis concludes with plant tours on Friday. Attendees have the option to see the most powerful spin-forming machine of its type built for a U.S. company or a robotic welding system in operation at a farm equipment manufacturing plant.

The Board of Directors has scheduled the Association’s annual business meeting to elect directors.The meeting is Oct. 31 at the Hilton Minneapolis.

You schedule meetings and create opportunities to form partnerships. We know a little social time can help, so here are highlights of a few things to do near the Hilton Minneapolis.

If you have been in conversation with a company that could benefit from membership in the Association, encourage that company to apply this week. Your sponsorship will improve the likelihood that you’ll be this year’s recipient of the Nicholson Award.

The Association has opportunities for convention attendees to market their companies’ products or services while also helping to offset the cost of convention and keep registration rates low.

U.S. soy exports to the European Union from July to mid-September were 133 percent higher than during the same period last year. But the increase in EU imports does not come close to offsetting losses in the China market.

Leaders of the Far West Equipment Dealers Association and the California Farm Bureau Federation are celebrating the signing of a right-to-repair agreement, but a tech publication has deemed the agreement a “swindle” by Deere.

Wisconsin is on track to see its biggest decline in dairy farms since 2013. Contributing to the decline: a continuing trend of low milk prices, consolidations, fewer dairy farmers to succeed retirees, and price reactions to tariffs.

A years-long attempt by employees of a farming operation to cut ties with a labor union has ended after a court ordered ballots be counted from a vote held five years ago.

President Trump signed a revised free-trade pact on Monday with South Korea. It was part of a strategy to turn attention toward Asia and Europe as the trade dispute with China continues to escalate.

Barring a dramatic breakthrough, farm-state lawmakers will miss their target of enacting the 2018 farm bill. Lawmakers have said a compromise bill might be passed in October, and they may opt for a one-year extension.

Companies that have been hit with last-minute objections on their request for exemptions from steel and aluminum tariffs now have additional time to respond.The new rebuttal process applies to all businesses that haven’t received final decisions from the government. Those that have been denied can reapply.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has halted the enforcement of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule in Iowa. The WOTUS Rule is now on hold in 28 states.

Commercial insurance prices in the United States increased by nearly 3 percent during the second quarter of 2018, according to a survey conducted by a risk management brokerage. Workers compensation was the only standard surveyed line with ongoing price reductions.

Agri Center, Monroe Tractor and Titan Machinery announce opening of new locations including one in the Ukraine. Titan Machinery also elects new member to its board of directors.

The Rural Mainstreet Index climbed above growth neutral in September for an eighth straight month, but the index specific to farm equipment sales dipped. The September farm equipment-sales index fell to 35.9 from 37.8 the previous month.

The top six agriculture counties in North Carolina flooded as a result of Hurricane Florence. While livestock numbers and damage estimates are staggering, some officials report that much of the states’ ag industry remains intact.

The site of our 2019 Supply Summit & Showcase in Myrtle Beach, S.C., was operating near capacity days after Hurricane Florence overwhelmed the Carolinas with water and wind. A spokesperson described the resort and the city as “very lucky.”

Dmitry Lyubimov has been replaced as president of Buhler Industries, Inc. The transition in leadership was immediate.

Policyholders to Receive Dividend Payments Soon –When you look for examples of successful partnerships between any trade association and industries serving association members, it would be hard to find one that has a more proven record of providing value to members than our partnership with Sentry Insurance.

Swihart Sales Company is looking for an entrepreneurial individual or company to buy its Spray Innovations business in Quinter, Kan.

ASABE has completed the development of a standard that provides design recommendations for new steel grain storage bins. With recommendations for bin access, anchor attachment points, and safety decals . . .

Manufacturers at the convention in Minneapolis will elect new members to the Board of Directors. Find details of the meeting here.

The partnership adds a wireless grain-monitoring device to AGROdeviate’s offerings.

Notable exceptions in an otherwise robust manufacturing sector include primary metals. An executive for a fabricated-metal products maker said the “toughest thing we deal with is the unknown.”

Member companies and individual executives have donated $12,850 to the Robert K. Schnell Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of Missouri. Only $2,150 remains to complete the match and establish a $40,000 endowed fund. See details on how to give.

Big trucking companies, scrambling along with their customers to keep up with fast-growing U.S. economic demand, are plowing millions of dollars into technology to build up services as digital freight middlemen.

Agriculture revenue for the second quarter at Titan Machinery was $152.8 million, compared to $138.5 million in the second quarter last year.

The Ag Economy Barometer rebounded in August to a reading of 129 after falling to 117 in July. More producers in August suggested now is a good time to make large investments in the farm.

Fruit growers in the Pacific Northwest have taken a particular hit in the trade dispute between China and the U.S., losing up to $86 million on sweet cherries this summer. China has also used inspections to retaliate against U.S. goods, citing dubious concerns about pests and pesticides to ratchet up scrutiny on American fruit shipments, trapping them in port.

According to data released by USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) last week, inflation-adjusted U.S. net farm income is forecast to decline by 14.8 percent from 2017 to 2018. Inflation-adjusted U.S. net cash farm income is forecast to decline by 13.8 percent.

Would you like to know the process dealers use to decide what shortline brands find space on their lots? Do you want to hear what dealers expect the distribution landscape to look like in 10 years?

Senate agriculture leaders last week suggested the farm bill proposal House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway offered—characterized as a “significant compromise” by the Texas Republican—did not go far enough.

The Standards Awareness Council keeps member companies informed on proposals that may affect how they manufacture equipment, and it helps companies navigate the process when they want to suggest revisions. See which standards the council will discuss at its meeting in Minneapolis.

U.S. says farmers are treated unfairly by the complex “supply management” system that governs Canada’s dairy market.