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NCBA disappointed in Trump TPP order
The president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says it’s disappointing but not surprising that President Trump has issued an order to pull the U.S. out of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement, the top priority of NCBA.
Tracy Brunner says expanding markets is the single best thing that can be done to help American cattle producing families…
“You know, our position on trade remains the same. We have more overall meat on the market than we’ve had in recent than we’ve had in recent years. Expanding our market share in international markets is very critical to us.”
Brunner tells Brownfield the NCBA would support the pursuit of bilateral trade agreements as an alternative, but adds, “It’s often-times more difficult to get a favorable in a bi-lateral agreement than with a multi-nation agreement because there’s greater emphasis on all parties to participate in larger trade agreements.”
Brunner says U.S. cattle producers are already losing out on $400-thousand-dollars in sales every day without the TPP. And, he says, renegotiating NAFTA – as Trump has promised to do – could spark a trade war with Canada, Mexico and Asia – raising American-produced beef prices in those markets.
Otherwise, Brunner says, NCBA is encouraged by Trump’s “pro-business” stance. The National Pork Producers Council has declined to comment on the president’s TPP executive order.
cool is the single most important thing that needs to be done