President-elect Joe Biden last week nominated Katherine Tai, chief trade counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee, to serve as U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
Agricultural organizations, such as the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), voiced their support for Tai’s nomination. Today we hear from other industry spokespeople, as they express their hopes for trade in the new year, under a new Administration.
Farmers for Free Trade today hosted an AgTalks press conference, which focused on “How the Biden Administration and Congress can meet trade challenges.” Jamie Castaneda, National Milk Producers Federation senior vice president, says nominating Katherine Tai as U.S. Trade Representative was a good start.
“I’ve had the pleasure to work with Katherine Tai, the nomination for the new USTR. She is very intelligent, dedicated, and open. I hope that we’re going to have the good relationship we’ve had through many discussions on TPP, or CPTPP, and many other issues in her new position. We hope we can bring to her our concerns,” Castaneda says.
The National Milk Producers Federation suggests Congress should focus on passing new trade agreements. Castaneda adds, “We have not negotiated and passed a new agreement through Congress in many years.”
“The last time we passed a new agreement, it was negotiated by the Bush Administration and passed in the first couple years of the Obama Administration. That is where we need to focus. We need to work on the offensive, be more active as a group – agriculture, and be more vocal about market opportunities,” Castaneda says.
The United States dairy industry exports more than 15-percent of domestic product. Castaneda says, “Without that market access, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to grow the way that we have been. Bottom line is, we need more market opportunities overseas.”
