The beef industry, like many others in agriculture, knows the importance of trade with other countries. One of the biggest is the North American Free Trade Agreement, as NAFTA is important to the beef industry. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) senior vice president of government affairs, Colin Woodall, knows there is some uneasiness right now as to what will happen …
Mexican Ambassador says NAFTA Negotiations Are Making Progress
The Mexican Ambassador to Washington tells Bloomberg that the U.S., Canada, and Mexico have general agreement on 40 percent of the topics being renegotiated in the NAFTA talks. Geronimo Gutierrez says Mexico may also be willing to accept an increase in the minimum regional content for automobiles traded under the deal. Gutierrez says Mexico is focusing on increasing employment, something …
Former Ag Secretary says Trump Understands Importance of NAFTA
Trade negotiators are gearing up for the next round of talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in Canada. Some industry stakeholders are frustrated because they feel not enough progress has been made so far. Mike Johanns, a former Ag Secretary, says, “So far, the negotiations really haven’t gone anywhere.” There are stakeholders in agriculture who wonder if …
Dairy States Need Strong NAFTA
Trade, and improving trade, is critically important for the U.S. dairy industry, especially in Wisconsin. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a democrat from Wisconsin, says trade is vitally important to all sectors of the U.S. economy, including dairy, but the U.S. needs fair trade agreements. Baldwin says the Trump administration needs to double down its efforts to renegotiate the North American …
NAFTA on Farmers’ Minds, China Bigger Trade Challenge
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks may be foremost on farmers’ minds these days, but two deputy U.S. Trade Representative nominees told Senate Finance members, China is the bigger trade challenge. President Trump tapped Dennis Shea to be a deputy U.S. Trade Representative to the World Trade Organization in Geneva, and Shea, who’s headed the China-U.S. Economic and …
Trump See’s Ag Benefits of NAFTA, Still Threatening Withdraw
President Donald Trump said again this week he “may” terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), saying such a move would yield the “best deal” in renegotiations. The president says many people “are going to be unhappy,” if he terminates the agreement, but counters that they “don’t realize how good it would be” if he did. But, just last …
Ag Coalition Formed to Support NAFTA
A new coalition of agriculture groups is focusing on the importance of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). More than 30 organizations across the agriculture sector announced the formation of Americans for Farmers & Families, noting that food and agriculture supports 43 million U.S. jobs and depends on trade with Canada and Mexico. The group was formed to “ensure” …
Agri View: Withdrawing from NAFTA
Everett Griner talks about withdrawing from NAFTA, North American Free Trade Agreement, could be disastrous for agriculture in today’s Agri View. Agri View: Withdrawing from NAFTA There is a lot about NAFTA that most Americans don’t understand. In fact, I would say there is very little they do understand. Here are just a few things that economist say would most …
NAFTA ‘Nervousness’ Dominates Senate Confirmation Hearing
NAFTA ‘nervousness’ dominated a Senate confirmation hearing for two Trump Deputy U.S. Trade Representative nominees, as concerns about a possible North American Free Trade Agreement pull-out continued to surface. Senate Ag Chair Pat Roberts told fellow Kansan C.J. Mahoney, tapped by the president to be a Deputy U.S. Trade Representative with a portfolio including NAFTA talks, that it’s the wrong …
Canada Official: U.S. Direction on NAFTA Like Following a Pinball
An agriculture official from Canada says trying to determine the U.S. direction for the North American Free Trade Agreement is like “following a pinball.” Ron Bonnett, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture president, was attending when President Donald Trump spoke at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention last week. Bonnett told an Ontario, Canada-based newspaper that he is still optimistic that …