Johnson, Smith lead two dozen members in seeking reduced barriers for U.S. ag exports

U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) and more than two dozen of his colleagues urged the Biden administration to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers for American agricultural exports.

“U.S. farmers and ranchers can feed the world, but tariffs and discriminatory barriers aimed at undermining American competitiveness remain a challenge,” the members wrote in a Feb. 20 letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Reps. Johnson and Smith and the members pointed out that strong U.S. agricultural production currently outpaces domestic demand, forcing U.S. farmers and ranchers to rely on global markets to sustain prices and revenues. 

“America’s farmers and ranchers lead the world in efficient and sustainable production. However, major tariff and non-tariff barriers continue to impact global competitiveness,” they wrote. “Increased U.S. agriculture exports not only sustain an industry crucial to food security and supply chains in the U.S., but also strengthen global sustainability efforts by providing the world with food produced with high environmental and labor standards.”

The bipartisan group of members wrote that USDA and the USTR must work together and seek enforceable agreements that open markets and reduce existing barriers through bilateral and multilateral engagement, according to their letter.

And they emphasized the need for agreements that lower tariffs, ensure sanitary and phytosanitary regulations are science-based, transparent, and consistent, and eliminate the abuse of geographical indicators in the food sector, the letter says.

“There is much work to do around the world to expand market access for U.S. producers and raise global sustainability, environmental, labor, and nutrition standards,” wrote Reps. Smith and Johnson and their colleagues. “The administration should lean into these agreements and demonstrate leadership using all the tools at its disposal, including negotiating agreements that lower tariffs and empower real enforcement.”

Maintaining the status quo, they added, will only put American agriculture further behind as its competitors aggressively pursue such opportunities.

Reps. Johnson and Smith, are co-chairs of the recently launched Agriculture Trade Caucus, joined fellow caucus co-chairs U.S. Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Jim Costa (D-CA) in signing the letter, as well as members including U.S. Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), Don Bacon (R-NE), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Darin LaHood (R-IL), and Randy Feenstra (R-IA).