U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and 21 of his Senate colleagues are leading efforts to address the record agriculture exports trade deficit and alarming decline in America’s international competitive advantage. In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the senators expressed concern over the sharp decline in U.S. agricultural exports and the lack of progress in expanding market access and reducing trade barriers.
“We expect trade to fluctuate in response to macroeconomic factors and market conditions,” the senators wrote. “However, the current sharp decline in U.S. agricultural exports is directly attributable to and exacerbated by an unambitious U.S. trade strategy that is failing to meaningfully expand market access or reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. While the Biden administration continually refuses to pursue traditional free trade agreements, China, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and others continue to ink trade pacts that diminish American export opportunities and global economic influence.”
The letter was also signed by a number of other Senate Republicans, including Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).
This collective effort underscores the growing concerns among Senate Republicans about the state of American agricultural exports and the need to take action to address the trade deficit. The senators are calling for a more proactive approach to trade policy to ensure that American farmers and producers have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field in the global market.
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