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Iowa’s governor tells Ross: Farmers won’t ‘stand down’ on NAFTA

Iowa governor Kim Reynolds says she told top officials in the Trump Administration “it would be devastating” for Midwest farmers and the ag economy if the North American Free Trade Agreement is abandoned.

“It was a healthy discussion,” Reynolds. “We continued to talk about the opportunities for modernizing, but not pulling out.”

Reynolds was in Washington last week to meet with Vice President Mike Pence, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Ross recently suggested farm groups and agribusinesses were exaggerating the impact of ending NAFTA. Reynolds says she directly addressed Ross and made the case on behalf of farmers.

“There’s a lot of angst out there. Their incomes have been diminished. They’re struggling,” Reynolds said. “I just indicated to him that they’re feeling the pressure and they’re concerned and if you think they’re going to stand down and just let this be a negotiating tactic, they’re not. You’re going to hear from me and you’re going to hear from Iowa farmers about the impact that this would have on the ag economy not only in Iowa but in the Midwest and across this country and it’s serious and so I don’t think we can say that enough.”

Three other Republican governors, including Michigan’s Rick Snyder, were also part of the meeting.

The next round of NAFTA talks is set to begin in Toronto in late January.

Radio Iowa contributed to this story.