The European Union is pushing for free trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific region. The EU is aggressively moving forward on free trade talks in the region, and the National Pork Producers Council is urging the United States to do the same. The U.S. backed out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement earlier this year, which would have improved market access for agricultural products into the Asia-Pacific region. EU trade officials have recently met with counterparts in New Zealand and the Philippines to explore free trade agreements. The EU has already concluded agreements with Vietnam and Singapore. NPPC, which strongly supported TPP, is urging the Trump administration to initiate bilateral free trade agreements with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, beginning with Japan, the U.S. pork industry’s top value market.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.