Agriculture is keeping the pressure on to preserve gains in North American Free Trade Agreement talks starting this month, and to win new gains in tax reform efforts, expected to start in September. Ag groups and lawmakers repeated their mantra in hearings last week to “do no harm” to agriculture in NAFTA modernization talks with Canada and Mexico, with whom ag trade value has quadrupled since 1994. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley previewed a speech he’ll give on NAFTA talks this Saturday:
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Grassley says trade is key to producers’ bottom-line:
Which was actually a tariff increase on frozen beef, that could have been avoided if the U.S. had stayed in TPP, or if it negotiates a new deal with Japan. Meantime, Grassley suggests some bargaining in Congress this fall, that could make tax reform, also key for agriculture, easier than healthcare reform:
But Grassley argues Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer might have a tougher time blocking tax reform, since the issue is less “personal” for voters than healthcare reform, and since some Democrats already want to change the tax code.