In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, farm-state senators say Europe must take large steps toward opening its market to U.S. farm exports or prospects for approval of a U.S.-EU free-trade agreement will fade. “The EU must be willing to work towards liberalization in all sectors of agriculture,” said the letter signed by 26 senators, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Agriculture Committee chairman Pat Roberts and Commerce Committee chairman John Thune.
The letter calls for tariff elimination across the range of agricultural exports, a rejection of EU claims to sole use of “geographic indicators” such as Swiss cheese, and agreement by the EU to move expeditiously to approve U.S. biotechnology products.
“If the [trade pact] is to achieve the robust support of the agriculture industry, including America’s hard-working farmers and ranchers, agricultural trade issues must be resolved before negotiations conclude,” said the letter. “We strongly urge you to continue to fight for an agreement that prioritizes U.S. agriculture, including the removal of non-science based regulatory barriers and the reduction and removal of tariffs on agricultural products.”