WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) joined U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Minority Whip; John Boozman (R-Ark.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Mike Crapo (R-Idaho.), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and 18 of their Senate GOP colleagues in urging U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to increase U.S. agricultural exports and improve the competitiveness of U.S. products abroad. 

“We expect trade to fluctuate in response to macroeconomic factors and market conditions,” wrote the senators. “However, the current sharp decline in U.S. agricultural exports is directly attributable to and exacerbated by an unambitious U.S. trade strategy that is failing to meaningfully expand market access or reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. While the Biden administration continually refuses to pursue traditional free trade agreements, China, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and others continue to ink trade pacts that diminish American export opportunities and global economic influence.”

Sens. Johnson, Thune, Boozman, and Crapo were joined on this letter by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

Full text of the letter can be found here. 

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