WAWG
In April, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and over 30 agriculture organizations sent a letter to United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai urging enhanced engagement on trade policies to bolster our global competitive standing around the world. Recommitting to an aggressive trade agenda, holding parties accountable to commitments, and improving trade enforcement mechanisms are critical steps that need to be taken.
“We request the administration recommit to an aggressive trade agenda to meaningfully expand export opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products,” the letter said. “Export markets are essential for our survival, and comprehensive trade agreements and elimination of tariff and nontariff barriers help ensure that U.S. agriculture can compete on an even playing field in our export markets.”
The organizations call for active enforcement of trade rules to ensure U.S. farmers capture the full scope of market access benefits within existing trade agreements. U.S. agricultural products often face import restrictions and trade-related market distortions that are not in compliance with existing trade agreements, and some governments impose arbitrary protectionist measures to benefit domestic producers, while other governments use nonscience-based sanitary and phytosanitary measures to create unjustifiable barriers for imports.
On April 16 and 17, Tai testified before the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, respectively. Her testimony focused on how the Biden-Harris administration’s trade agenda is supporting economic growth from the middle out and the bottom up by empowering workers both at home and abroad, rebuilding American manufacturing, and strengthening the resilience of U.S. supply chains.