[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”underline solid” sep_color=”#000000″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Vetter warns that delay by Congress on TPP will cause greater loss for US farmers and ranchers[/title][fusion_text]Monday, January 11th 2016
Darci Vetter, the top agricultural negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, says the longer Congress waits to take action on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the greater the potential loss for U.S. exporters and for the country’s farmers and ranchers. Vetter pointed out that the U.S. was one of 12 Pacific Rim nations that shook hands on the TPP agreement in October, and that until the pact is confirmed by Congress, those countries are free to make bilateral deals, “creating preferential access we won’t enjoy until we get to finish line.” She noted that the U.S. beef exporters have been slowly taking back market share in Japan following restrictions placed on American products related to mad cow disease. Japanese importers, however, pay a 10 percent lower tariff on Australian beef the U.S. meat. Vetter was also asked whether a plan under consideration at USDA that would provide new subsidies for cotton growers, who are dealing with a sharp decline in prices, might run afoul of an agreement the U.S. has with Brazil to cut back on government support. Under the cotton growers’ plan, USDA would allow cottonseed to qualify as an oilseed under the new Price Loss Coverage and Agriculture Risk Coverage programs that were created by the 2014 farm bill. Vetter said that although the National Cotton Council has introduced the plan to USTR, “at this point we are not in active consultation with USDA.” She said the role of USTR would be to provide technical assistance to see if the plan is consistent with international trade obligations. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week said he would decide “very soon” whether to provide the new subsidies, but he suggested that the industry’s proposal may lack legal authority.
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