Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said he is “talking with the administration and Congress about some mitigation efforts” if President Trump withdraws the United States from NAFTA, said Politico. The discussions cover “how we could protect our producers with that [farm] safety net based on prices that may respond negatively to any kind of NAFTA withdrawal,” Perdue said during an impromptu news conference.
The secretary, credited with helping to talk Trump out of withdrawing from the trade pact early this year, said he believes negotiations for a modernized NAFTA will be successful. “There’ll be some bumps in the road in the meantime,” he said. The next round of talks is scheduled for Nov. 17–21 in Mexico City.
The disclosure of contingency planning came one day after eight farm and ag trade groups briefed members of the House Agriculture Committee about the significant losses that would follow withdrawal. Canada and Mexico account for one-third of U.S. agricultural trade. According to Politico, “Perdue acknowledged that pulling out of NAFTA could have ‘some tragic consequences’ for U.S. producers, but also said that farmers can adapt to changes in the market.”
During a visit to Modesto, Calif., last week, Perdue said he has told Trump that NAFTA is important to agriculture, said the Bee newspaper. “He added that his boss is ‘very bombastic sometimes on things that he believes … but he also has the essence of a good leader who is willing to listen.’ ”