Cotton, meat, ethanol, restaurant industries comment on trade
As President Trump’s self-imposed deadline on tariffs and trade deals approaches Friday, the cotton, meat, ethanol and restaurant industries have weighed in with their comments on the situation.
On President Trump’s executive order to eliminate the de minimis exemption for all commercial shipments entering the United States, effective Aug. 29, National Cotton Council Chairman Patrick Johnson said, “This executive action is a positive step for American manufacturing and agriculture. Ending the de minimis loophole levels the playing field and strengthens our domestic supply chains. We appreciate the Trump administration’s efforts to increase our global competitiveness.”
After Trump announced a trade deal with South Korea, U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom said, “USMEF thanks the Trump administration for making trade negotiations with South Korea a top priority, and we are anxious to learn more details about the U.S.-Korea trade deal. As the largest export destination for U.S. beef and a critical market for U.S. pork, Korea provides a great example of what the U.S. red meat industry can achieve in the global marketplace. We remain hopeful that Korea will address the non-tariff barriers it imposes on U.S. beef, bringing market access in line with international standards.”
The Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy welcomed the trade agreement between the United States and the European Union.
“We thank President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for reaching this important agreement over the weekend, and we are encouraged to see U.S. ethanol mentioned as part of the deal,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. He noted that Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a social media post that the deal includes the purchase of $750 billion in U.S. energy, including ethanol, and would reduce America’s $24 billion agriculture trade deficit with the EU.
Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said, “This latest trade deal with the EU will deliver concrete benefits to the American ethanol industry and to the rural communities it supports. It has the potential to unleash a new era of transatlantic trade partnerships and to enhance what’s already one of the ethanol industry’s strongest trade relationships. We look forward to learning more details about how this agreement addresses the tariff and non-tariff trade barriers that will allow the U.S. ethanol industry to build on the $420 million we exported to the EU in 2024.”
But Trump also issued an executive order imposing additional tariffs on Brazil, citing a range of national security concerns.
National Restaurant Association Executive Vice President Sean Kennedy wrote Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, with copies to Rollins and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, that “imposing tariffs on food and beverage products would have far-reaching consequences for restaurants, which already operate on razor-thin margins.”
Kennedy added, “Imposing tariffs on key partners such as Brazil and the European Union would pose significant challenges to the restaurant supply chain, affecting the cost and availability of essential goods like coffee, beef, and European food, wine and spirits. Currently, beef prices are already at record highs and impact menu prices on items like hamburgers, tacos, and more.”
