WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a lifelong family farmer, made the following statement on U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s notification to Congress of his intent to trigger a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico. The notification, a requirement of the Trade Promotion Authority, which allows for fast track negotiating authority, begins a 90-day deliberation period with negotiations set to begin August 16, 2017.
“The President should be commended for following through on his promise to take another look at U.S. trade deals to ensure that American workers aren’t getting the short end of the stick. After two and a half decades, the time is right to update the trilateral agreement where it makes sense. As the President and U.S. Trade Representative begin renegotiating NAFTA, they would do well to remember the millions of good-paying U.S. jobs across the country that depend on agricultural exports. Iowa is the nation’s leading producer of eggs, pork, soybeans and corn and has benefited greatly from free and fair trade with Canada and Mexico. The Administration should soundly reject any renegotiation that would harm U.S. agriculture, a notable bright spot in the economy of Rural America.”