The Chair of the National Pork Producers Council’s Trade Policy Committee says access to tariff free export markets has allowed the U.S. pork industry to move the United States from being a net importer of pork to the world’s largest pork exporter.
The importance of trade and the value of free trade agreements was among the topics discussed yesterday as part of World Pork Expo in Des Moines.
John Weber, the Past President of the Nation Pork Producers Council and the NPPC Trade Policy Committee Chair, says trade is at the top of the organization’s priority list and representatives are working hard to get out the message of how important trade is to pork producers.
The change over the long period of time has been very positive. We now have 20 plus free trade agreements in place. It has been responsible for where the pork industry is today. We’ve gone from a net importer of pork back in 1990 to the world’s number one exporter of pork today so trade has been critically important.
Beyond that, as we look forward, any growth in our industry is going to be very dependant on creating new markets, getting better market access around the globe to allow our industry to grow. We export to right at 100 different countries around the globe today. 20 of those countries we have free trade agreements with. We export more pork to those 20 countries than we do to all of the other countries combined.
~ John Weber, National Pork Producers Council
Weber notes the North American Free Trade Agreement has been an incredibly successful agreement for U.S. pork and, as that agreement is renegotiated, NPPC will be encouraging the administration to protect what is in place in terms of agriculture.
Beyond NAFTA, he says NPPC’s focus will be on achieving additional trade agreements with Japan, with Pacific Rim countries, China and other regions.
