Ag State lawmakers continue to voice strong concern, even worry, that the U.S. may pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), with dire consequences for home-state farmers and ranchers.
The latest Department of Agriculture export forecast shows the importance of Canada and Mexico as the U.S.’s second and third-largest markets, respectively, and Secretary Sonny Perdue hails both, and China, for the third and fourth-highest export totals ever, this year and next.
It’s more reason that Midwest lawmakers like Missouri US Senator Claire McCaskill are worried by continued lack of progress in NAFTA renegotiations and heightened threats by President Trump to abandon the deal.
Secretary Wilbur Ross has downplayed threats by Mexico to walk away from the NAFTA talks. McCaskill dismisses any claim Mexico must do its business here.
McCaskill disagrees with President Trump that the best way to extract concessions from Mexico and Canada is to drive them to the ‘edge of the bargaining table.’
The American Farm Bureau points out that U.S. farm exports to Canada and Mexico have quadrupled in value since NAFTA took effect in the early Nineties.
AFBF and others argue the loss of NAFTA benefits would be devastating to US producers, already strapped by four-years of depressed farm prices.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.