U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive action last week pulling the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations has sparked mixed reactions from the agricultural industry.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) applauded Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from what it called “a deeply flawed TPP trade agreement.”
“For too long,” said NFU President Roger Johnson, “our nation’s trade negotiators have prioritized a free-trade over fair-trade agenda, leading to a massive $531 billion trade deficit, lost jobs and lowered wages in rural communities across America. It’s time our country refocuses the trade agenda to prioritize balanced trade, U.S. sovereignty and U.S. family farmers, ranchers and rural communities. The Trump administration should look to do so with a level of tact that does not motivate our trade partners to take retaliatory actions or threaten the integrity of positive trade markets that American agriculture relies upon.”
Other agricultural organisations have expressed concern over the withdrawal. The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) said it was extremely disappointed with President Trump’s executive action.
“TPP, and agreements like it, are key to setting the terms and rules for future trade relationships, creating higher standards and expectations than previous trade deals,” said AFIA President and CEO Joel G. Newman. “While the U.S. economy generally deals with a trade deficit, agriculture is the one segment where our country enjoys a strong trade surplus.”
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall issued a similar response.
“While President Trump signed an executive order withdrawing our nation from the Trans- Pacific Partnership,” Duvall said, “we viewed TPP as a positive agreement for agriculture – one that would have added $4.4 billion annually to our struggling agriculture economy. With this decision, it is critical that the new administration begin work immediately to do all it can to develop new markets for U.S. agricultural goods and to protect and advance U.S. agricultural interests in the critical Asia-Pacific region.”
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Philip Seng said the USMEF “remains fully committed to our valued trading partners in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). These countries account for more than 60 percent of U.S. red meat exports.”
Send called for quick action to keep U.S. meat globally competitive.
“In some of these key markets, the U.S. red meat industry will remain at a serious competitive disadvantage unless meaningful market access gains are realized,” Seng said. “We urge the new administration to utilize all means available to return the United States to a competitive position, so that our industry can continue to serve this important international customer base and further expand our export opportunities.”
Similarly, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) said it is committed to working with the Trump administration to preserve tariff-free market access for U.S. pork exports to Canada and Mexico.
“As far a pork is concerned, the trade deals with Canada and Mexico have been tremendous for U.S. pork producers,” said NPPC President John Weber, a pork producer from Dysart, Iowa.
“Our exports to those nations exploded because of the trade pact we have with them,” Weber said, “but we know that some concerns have been raised by others, so we are committed to working with the Trump administration in looking for ways to improve our trade relationships with Canada and Mexico.”
Weber said the pork trade with Canada and Mexico “has been so successful that any disruption in exports with either partner could hurt our producers’ ability to compete. We need to make sure we maintain and even improve our pork exports to our neighbors while working to ensure that others benefit as much as we do.”
Lucy Towers is the editor of the Pig Site Newsletter.
