Trade was a big topic at the Agri-Talk Farmers Forum on Wednesday. Farmers at the show were of the opinion that if President Trump pulls out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), he may not see another term in office.
One day earlier, Trump said the negotiations were moving along well. He added, “I happen to be of the opinion that if it doesn’t work out, we’ll terminate it.” That didn’t sit well with the farmers, legislators, and ag industry stakeholders in attendance.
Frank Howey, a North Carolina farmers, says, “Republicans are supposed to be free-traders and Trump got elected by U.S. farmers. If he does us wrong on trade, he will not get re-elected.” Top Republicans in the legislature are studying the options they may have to override a possible Trump withdrawal from NAFTA.
Agri-Talk host Chip Flory says that shows how far the problem has come.”You have a Republican-controlled Senate and a Republican in the White House,” Flory says. “If the Republican President withdraws from NAFTA, then you’ll have a Republican-controlled Senate looking for ways to overturn that withdrawal.”
A new study from the group Farmers for Free Trade showed just how much a withdrawal would cost farmers and the economy. For example, cheese would face a 45 percent tariff rate without NAFTA.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.