By Blair Shipp, ASA State Policy Communications Coordinator
After years of working on trade investigations covering everything from steel and chemicals to home appliances, David Johanson is ready to narrow his focus.
Johanson joined ASA in September as international trade advisor after nearly 15 years at the U.S. International Trade Commission, including two full terms as chairman. At ITC, he worked on investigations involving hundreds of products, with agricultural products occasionally among them. His new role gives him the opportunity to concentrate on soybean trade, returning to an area that was a major focus earlier in his career.
Before joining ITC, Johanson spent nearly nine years as international trade counsel for the U.S. Senate
David Johanson during his September travels in Ireland.
Committee on Finance. There, he handled agricultural trade issues for Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, with soybeans as part of his daily portfolio. Earlier in his career, Johanson practiced international trade law, primarily representing agricultural groups. ASA was among his clients, and his work for the association included issues involving World Trade Organization rules and trade in GMO soybeans.
Johanson has always enjoyed agricultural trade work, and the opportunity to focus deeply on one industry was part of what drew him to ASA.
There is plenty to focus on. Johanson describes the current trade situation for soybean growers as challenging, with trade policies in flux and new tariffs being enacted every few months. He also sees the potential for progress that could benefit growers. He hopes his work at ASA can help advance long-term market access and greater predictability for U.S. soy exports.
Johanson knows that progress on trade issues in Washington can be a lengthy process. Meetings, phone calls, Zoom calls, and emails are part of laying the groundwork, but he places particular importance on soybean farmers making their own positions known to Congress and the administration.
He credits ASA and its members with consistently communicating the importance of international trade to U.S. soybean farmers and encourages growers to continue participating in fly-ins, contacting policymakers, and sharing their concerns. Johanson is looking forward to joining growers in advocating for trade policies that benefit the industry.
Outside the office, Johanson enjoys the outdoors and studying foreign languages. An Eagle Scout whose two sons are also Eagle Scouts, he spent more than a decade as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader and estimates he has spent hundreds of nights sleeping in a tent. Just before starting at ASA, he spent a week hiking a difficult stretch of the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire.
Johanson also speaks Spanish and has picked up Portuguese and French. His interest in languages began after discovering on a trip to Mexico at age 20 that he could put the Spanish he had studied in school to use.
For Johanson, joining ASA means returning to the agricultural trade work he has enjoyed throughout his career, now with the opportunity to concentrate on the needs of soybean growers. He is looking forward to spending time with farmers, hearing their concerns, and working alongside them as ASA addresses the trade challenges facing the industry.
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