Congressional leaders have said repeatedly that they won’t call the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement for a vote in the post-election session, but farm groups are undeterred in pushing for action, said Feedstuffs. “The TPP has huge potential benefits for soybean farmers,” said Richard Wilkins, president of the American Soybean Association, both in exports and in higher domestic demand for livestock feed to satisfy the growing foreign demand for meat.
The soybean group and the National Oilseed Processors Association jointly released a document to make their argument that the 12-nation trade pact will boost U.S. farm and agribusiness revenues. The pact covers 40 percent of the global economy. A key prize for U.S. agriculture would be wider access to Japan’s food market.
The Obama administration, which devoted years to negotiation of TPP, also is pressing for a vote. Both presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, say they don’t support TPP as it stands.