In a huge victory for U.S. wheat farmers, the United States and Colombia officially implemented on Tuesday a free trade agreement (FTA) first signed in 2006. The pact immediately eliminates all tariffs on U.S. wheat imports to Colombia and ends a significant tariff disadvantage U.S. farmers have faced compared to Canadian and Argentine wheat imports there.

Opening markets is no easy task, as trade representatives often find. Three major free trade agreements - with South Korea, Colombia and Panama - have been making progress, but there's more work ahead. Floyd Gaibler, U.S. Grains Council director of trade policy outlined the key issues in a blog on the organization's website this week. His insight paints a picture of the challenges that face trade negotiators and policymakers.