Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) recently urged the U.S. trade representative to propose measures to protect Florida agriculture from unfair trade practices in the next round of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations.
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“We urge you to formally propose a NAFTA fix that would allow regional growers to use seasonal data for antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) cases,” Rubio and Nelson wrote to Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative. “It is critically important that NAFTA provide a fair and equitable market for U.S. fruit and vegetable growers. To this end, we are hopeful the Administration will use all means available to prevent Mexico from targeting regional growers in an effort to monopolize the U.S. market during certain seasons.”
NAFTA negotiations will take place in Mexico City at the end of the week.
“Further, any trade agreement expecting fast track authority in Congress needs to meet the negotiating objectives set out in the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-26), including ‘eliminating practices that adversely affect trade in perishable or cyclical products, while improving import relief mechanisms to recognize the unique characteristics of perishable and cyclical agriculture.’ Failure to meet these objectives would clearly not meet the standards Congress has set for trade agreements and would threaten the viability of a renegotiated NAFTA,” the Florida senators added.
A modernized NAFTA that levels the playing field for farmers, ranchers, businesses, and workers will help restore faith in U.S. trade agreements, they wrote.