Trade School Focuses on Ongoing Trade Issues

More than 70 farmers, state staff and college students interested in agriculture yesterday participated in the 2019 Trade School, a one-day session meant to deepen their knowledge on trade issues and hone their messaging to help better convey the benefits of agricultural trade to outside audiences.

The event is held annually by NCGA and the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and was held this year in association with Corn Congress in Washington, D.C.

NCGA is closely following ongoing trade disputes and negotiations, and members in Washington, D.C. this week will be urging lawmakers to ratify the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The agreement would solidify a $4.56 billion export market for America’s corn farmers and provide certainty to farmers facing challenging times.

“Agricultural trade has vastly expanded market opportunities for U.S. farmers. Today, it seems like everyday farmers wake up to a new headline regarding trade. Whether it is the pursuit of new opportunities, the imposition of tariffs, or the threat of losing existing markets, trade has been dominating the conversation,” said Melissa Kessler, USGC director of strategic relations.

“Trade School was an opportunity to get past the rhetoric, dive deep into the facts of trade and help attendees gain confidence in talking about trade to a wide variety of stakeholders.”  

Trade School attendees learned from public and private sector experts about the importance of trade to the agriculture sector and the current state of play for USMCA, and trade with China and Japan. Many participants will take their message to Capitol Hill later this week.