Trade was a big topic at the
Agri-Talk Farmers Forum on Wednesday. Farmers at the show were of the opinion
that if President Trump pulls out of the North American Free Trade Agreement,
he may not see another term in office. One day earlier, Trump said the
negotiations were moving along well. He added, “I happen to be of the opinion
that if it doesn’t work out, we’ll terminate it.” That didn’t sit well with the
farmers, legislators, and ag industry stakeholders in attendance. Frank Howey,
a North Carolina farmers, says, “Republicans are supposed to be free-traders
and Trump got elected by U.S. farmers. If he does us wrong on trade, he will
not get re-elected.” Top Republicans in the legislature are studying the
options they may have to override a possible Trump withdrawal from NAFTA.
Agri-Talk host Chip Flory says that shows how far the problem has come.”You
have a Republican-controlled Senate and a Republican in the White House,” Flory
says. “If the Republican President withdraws from NAFTA, then you’ll have a
Republican-controlled Senate looking for ways to overturn that withdrawal.” A
new study from the group Farmers for Free Trade showed just how much a
withdrawal would cost farmers and the economy. For example, cheese would face a
45 percent tariff rate without NAFTA.
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