Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is pretty stoked about the trade agreement that was reached on Thursday between the United States and the United Kingdom. Hinson, who’s a Republican from Marion, believes this new deal could open up more opportunities for Iowa farmers to sell their goods in the U.K. and other places. Only some parts of the agreement have been revealed so far, but Hinson is hopeful that it will lead to more trade with other countries and give our producers the chance to explore new markets.
“I think this deal will spark a whole bunch of other trade activities with different nations and give us access to fresh markets, which is something our farmers have been asking for for a while now,” Hinson explains. “Sadly, during the Biden administration, trade wasn’t really a top priority, and we just saw our trade deficit keep growing.”
Preliminary reports about the trade pact suggest that the U.K. will simplify the customs process and increase their purchases of American products, such as beef and ethanol. Hinson believes that our farmers deserve to have long-term certainty in their trade agreements and is pushing for a full reauthorization of the Farm Bill to follow suit.
“Our farmers deserve that long-term certainty. We need to follow that up. These great trade deals with good policy on our end, delivering a full reauthorization of the Farm Bill as well,” Hinson says. “I’m working with House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson to help get whatever provisions included in the reconciliation process that we can, while still working for a stand-alone Farm Bill.”
As part of the trade deal, it looks like President Trump agreed to reduce tariffs on U.K.-made vehicles, steel, and aluminum, but the original ten-percent tariff on British goods will stay in place. Hinson remains hopeful that more trade agreements are on the horizon with other countries.
“Getting these people to the table is important through the tariff discussion, but backing that up with actual tariff enforcement, trade enforcement, duty enforcement to push back on malign intentions coming out of these countries to deliberately undermine our producers every single day,” Hinson says. “I will continue with that approach and I’m very, very pleased to see this first deal be announced.”
Reports also mention that the Brits have agreed to lower tariffs on hundreds of U.S. products, ranging from sporting goods to olive oil. Hinson is excited about the potential for more trade deals in the future, as she believes they could benefit American producers.
In conclusion, the trade agreement between the U.S. and the U.K. has the potential to bring positive changes for Iowa farmers and open up new markets for American products. Hinson’s enthusiasm for this deal reflects the hopes of many in the agricultural industry for increased trade opportunities. Let’s keep an eye out for more developments in the world of international trade!
