The US Trade Representative says finalizing a trade deal with
China continues to be one of the top priorities for the Trump
Administration.
During a hearing with the Senate Finance Committee, Robert
Lighthizer told committee members the President is keeping farm country in mind
as they move through trade negotiations.
“Particularly with respect to China – no one has a bigger upside to opening
up China than agriculture,” he says. “Well
sell them, in a normal year, $18 to $19 billion worth of product. Less last year for a variety of reasons.”
Ranking Member of the Senate Ag Committee, Michigan Senator
Debbie Stabenow says she doesn’t think the Trump Administration has agriculture
as a priority. “The budget came out
yesterday,” she says. “It has a 31
percent cut in farm bill programs for Rural America. Plus a 15 percent cut to the USDA to be able
to enforce and provide the farm bill programs.”
Stabenow says nobody has been more
negatively impacted from the President’s actions on China than
agriculture.
Lighthizer says he’s hopeful the Administration is in the final weeks of talks and a deal will be secured soon.
Continue reading Lighthizer: China deal remains priority at Brownfield Ag News.
