Trump administration plans to establish 'robust and reinvigorated trade policy'Trump administration plans to establish 'robust and reinvigorated trade policy'

Pork exports equate to more than $64 in average value from each hog that is marketed in the U.S.

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In a memorandum to several departments, including Commerce, State and Treasury, as well as the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, President Trump began the process of reinstituting the “America First” trade policy from his previous term in the White House. He called on department leaders – once confirmed to office – to take steps to establish a “robust and reinvigorated trade policy,” including:

  • Investigate the causes of the country’s “large and persistent” annual trade deficits.

  • Investigate the feasibility of establishing and recommend the best methods for designing, building and implementing an External Revenue Service to collect tariffs, duties and other foreign trade-related revenues.

  • Review and identify unfair trade practices by other countries and recommend appropriate actions to remedy such practices.

  • Assess the impact of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on American agriculture and business and make recommendations on the participation of the United States in the agreement. (Trump said he will impose 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico shipped to the United States starting Feb. 1.)

  • Review existing U.S. trade agreements and sectoral trade agreements and recommend revisions that may be necessary or appropriate to achieve or maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to free trade agreement partner countries.

  • Identify countries with which the United States can negotiate agreements on a bilateral or sector-specific basis to obtain export market access for American workers, farmers, ranchers, service providers and other businesses and make recommendations regarding such potential agreements.

  • Review policies and regulations regarding the application of antidumping and countervailing duty laws.

Related:Meat exports end 2024 with much to celebrate

The memo also had several points specific to trade with China, including reviewing its Permanent Normal Trade Relations status.

International trade is a key economic pillar of the U.S. pork industry. More than 140,000 American jobs are supported by pork exports, which contributed over $15.6 billion to the U.S. economy. Pork exports equate to more than $64 in average value from each hog that is marketed in the U.S.

The National Pork Producers Council notes U.S. pork producers worked hard to build and maintain the current, mutually beneficial trading relationships with Mexico and Canada, nations that rank consistently as top destinations for U.S. pork products. In 2023, U.S. producers exported more than $2.3 billion in pork products to Mexico and another $875 million in products to Canada.

Related:Brazil, Singapore sign regionalization agreement to safeguard pork trade

NPPC will monitor the Trump administration’s trade policy proposals and urge the administration to pursue comprehensive trade deals that expand market access for and remove tariff and non-tariff barriers to U.S. pork exports.

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