Congress moves into full NAFTA mode this week as the House Agriculture Committee opens a public hearing to prepare for renegotiations of the North American Free Trade agreement. Chairman Michael Conaway of Texas says trade and agriculture go hand in hand, so agriculture needs to make sure its interests are known and reflected in any new agreement.
“Trade is a big part of what is important to the success of production agriculture, and so with the renegotiation of NAFTA, which is entirely appropriate, we need to be sure that ag interests are well represented at the table throughout that full negotiation, much like they were with TPP during those negotiations.”
The hearing is set for 10 AM Wednesday.
“We’ll have a good slate of witnesses to talk to us and hopefully highlight the need that this NAFTA renegotiation take into consideration all the aspects of trade as it relates to agriculture in the United States.”
Conaway added, “The administration has already outlined key objectives for ag, such as expanding market opportunities and tightening enforcement, and I look forward to hearing from our witnesses about opportunities to achieve the best deal possible for American agriculture.”
Wednesday’s committee hearing is called Renegotiating NAFTA: Opportunities for Agriculture.