Former Ag Secretary says Trump Understands Importance of NAFTA

Trade negotiators are gearing up for the next round of talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in Canada. Some industry stakeholders are frustrated because they feel not enough progress has been made so far.

Mike Johanns, a former Ag Secretary, says, “So far, the negotiations really haven’t gone anywhere.” There are stakeholders in agriculture who wonder if the president really understands how important NAFTA is to the rural community, but Johanns is one who feels the president now understands just how vital it is. “My take is the president has certainly come to realize just how important NAFTA is in parts of the country that supported him in his run for office,” Johanns says. “The key issue for the president is going to be how he can come up with something that saves face and doesn’t blow this thing up.” Johanns, also a former U.S. Senator, says pulling out of NAFTA could be devastating for American agriculture. “In the real world, this is so very important to the average farmer or rancher that’s out there just trying to make a living,” he says. “There’s a good story to tell, we just need more people out there telling it.”

From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.