August 27, 2019

New podcast on trade deals

Topic: Issues

August 27, 2019: Everyone is talking about China and trade with that country. But what about the agreement in principle to a new deal with Japan?

Download and listen to the Trade agreements mp3

Read the transcript:

There are many things that weigh on the minds of farmers and ranchers. One of those things that gets highlighted quite regularly is trade. Trade is important to the United States because we are the best at producing an abundance of food, not only for our nation, but for the world.

To market that abundance, we need good trading partners. And it seems that everyone is focused on China. And albeit, China has a very large population and needs a lot of food, it is not the only trading partner that’s important. In fact, over the weekend, Japan agreed to a new trade agreement with the United States. It’s not inked yet, but they agreed in principle, that will give us the same things that we would have received in TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

This is big. This is extremely big for agriculture, especially for our beef industry, because Japan likes to buy the United States premium beef, and that premium beef is grown on the northern plains, and North Dakota has some of the elite genetics to produce that premium beef.

But there’s also talk of corn, and pork and other important things to their diet in Japan which we raise high quality products over here.

So too often, we are led down the path that destruction will come, it’ll be the death of farming and ranching if we don’t get a deal with China. But those same folks saying that are overlooking important deals such as the Japan agreement in principle. And might I remind you some of those same people that are saying that the president and the administration’s trade policies are the death of farms and ranches are the same ones that are holding up ratifying the United States, Mexico, Canada agreement.

It’s time to call Nancy Pelosi and tell her, “Get that trade agreement out for a vote. Get it passed.” Because by holding trade agreements and not ratifying them is doing way more damage to farming and ranching than the renegotiation for better deals is doing.

At NDFB, we encourage equality in our trade, and we are glad that the administration is taking this on. Yes, it’s created some anxiety out there. But at the end of the day, we believe a more equitable trade deal will pay big dividends for farmers and ranchers, and for our members at NDFB.