Press Release: U.S. Dry Bean Council Sends Message to Trump Transition Team on NAFTA and Trade Agenda

January 6, 2017
Portland, Oregon

The U.S Dry Bean Council (USDBC) formally reached out to President Elect Trump’s transition team on the importance of continuing with a strong trade agenda for U.S. agriculture. Specifically, USDBC expressed the critical importance of NAFTA to ensure continued market share and competitiveness for U.S. dry bean exports. “Mexico is our top export market and a critical trade partner, we have no desire to see that change,” said Lynn Preator – President of the USDBC Board of Directors. USDBC’s own market research indicates that Mexico is already making use of non NAFTA origin quotas to shore up dry bean supply. Rebecca Bratter, USDBC Executive Director noted “we have some serious concerns that a reopening of NAFTA could result in lost sales of U.S. dry beans and lost income for U.S. dry bean growers and dealers.”

In a separate letter USDBC expressed the importance of prioritizing benefits for American farmers and growers in trade, specifically enforcement of existing agreements and expansion of market access through new agreements. The U.S. dry bean industry exports approximately 20% of production annually making access to foreign markets critical for success. Rebecca Bratter emphasized, “We look forward to working with the Trump administration to ensure a positive outcome on trade for the U.S. dry bean industry and for U.S. agriculture in general, and this must include preferential market access for U.S. agricultural exports. “

For additional information contact Rebecca Bratter at Rebecca@.

The U.S. Dry Bean Council is the national global export development arm of the U.S. dry bean industry, representing the dealers, growers, and corporates with the exclusive aim of increasing the consumption of U.S. dry beans worldwide.

The U.S. Dry Bean Council is an Equal Opportunity provider and employer