The top agriculture leaders from the United States and Canada met earlier this week, discussing trade and the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. While no negotiations took place during the meeting, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the pair did lay out concerns on agricultural trade issues, including dairy. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the two had “very good, very candid discussions” that were “very frank, like family members discussing some things that are not necessarily comfortable.” Perdue said they laid out a “great framework” to begin renegotiating NAFTA. Noting that the U.S. and Canada have one the closest trading relationships in the world, Canada Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay said: “I’m confident that we can reinforce this relationship in a balanced manner, allowing us to boost farmers’ bottom lines and create good, middle-class jobs on both sides of the border.”
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.