Grassley Questions Trade Ambassador Greer on Increasing Access to Fertilizer, Supporting Iowa Pig Farmers and USMCA

Grassley Questions Trade Ambassador Greer on Increasing Access to Fertilizer, Supporting Iowa Pig Farmers and USMCA

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, questioned U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer about the need to expand access to fertilizer and the benefits of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Grassley urged Greer to work with America's trade partners to increase fertilizer supply and to remove any tariffs on anhydrous ammonia. On USMCA, Grassley called on Greer to ensure Iowa pig farmers are not caught up in a crossfire of trade retaliation. Iowa leads the nation in pork production.

Video and excerpts follow.

VIDEO

On increasing fertilizer access:

I want to compliment the president for delaying the 18% duties on Moroccan phosphate coming into our country so that Mosaic has some competition. They've got 85% of the market already. We have two suppliers of anhydrous ammonia in America.

So, can we get a commitment to working with our trading partners to increase the availability of fertilizers generally for U.S. farmers, but most importantly, removing any tariffs on anhydrous ammonia? In other words, we need to get a bigger supply. You can't just have two companies dominating the whole market of nitrogen for corn farmers.

…

Well, if you want to increase supply, get Mosaic to quit shutting down plants they have with their phosphate production.

On removing Chinese export restrictions:

Let's go to China. They have placed unfair export restrictions on fertilizer products, upsetting the global markets for fertilizer. What can you do to get the Chinese to remove these export restrictions in future trade negotiations with China?

On USMCA and supporting Iowa pork producers:

USMCA has shown its value to the economies of all three countries because it's dramatically improved the economies of the countries and the increased trade that's happened. [For a]ll segments of the economy in all [three] countries, but particularly for agriculture, it's been very good.

And so, the United States and Mexico failed to reach an agreement on Mexican tomato exports. The Mexican government then launched an investigation into unfair trade practices of the U.S. pork industry.

Ahead of further negotiations with Mexico this week, what is USTR doing to ensure Iowa pig farmers - because we're number one in the production of pork - so we don't get caught up in the crossfire of trade retaliation?

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