Kent Bacus, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s director of international trade and market access, recently issued the following statement in response to news reports that eleven nations have finalized a revised version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership without the United States:
“Withdrawing from TPP was a missed opportunity for the United States to gain greater access to some of the world’s most vibrant and growing markets. As we now enter a pivotal round of NAFTA negotiations, the last thing we need is to take a step backwards in our relationships with Canada and Mexico.
“We encourage negotiators in Montreal to continue building on the progress made in previous rounds so the United States can focus on tearing down trade barriers in Asia and around the world.
“Unfortunately, the U.S. Senate’s unwillingness to confirm key negotiators like Gregg Doud as the chief agricultural negotiator, leaves the ag sector unfairly underrepresented at the world’s negotiating tables. It’s imperative that the Senate confirm Doud and the many other unconfirmed nominees as soon as possible.”
