Rollins in Rome today and Tuesday, lists issues with other countries
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is in Rome today and Tuesday to promote U.S. agricultural exports, urge the European Union to lower barriers to trade, and meet with officials from the United Nations food and agriculture organizations that are based there.
In a news release, USDA said Rollins “will reinforce the administration’s expectations for improved agricultural market access to Italy and the European Union and will encourage the United Nations organizations in Rome to prioritize American interests, reduce costs and focus on their core mandates.”
“The United States’ relationships with Italian buyers and consumers foster tens of billions in bilateral trade and investment,” Rollins said in the release.
“However, U.S. agricultural stakeholders have been unfairly left behind for far too long by the European Union and Italy’s high tariffs on U.S. agricultural products and numerous non-tariff barriers,” Rollins said.
“In coordination with Ambassador Tilman Fertitta, we at USDA will continue working to level the playing field and increase market opportunities with the EU and Italy for hard-working U.S. farmers, ranchers, foresters, and food processors.”
Rollins is scheduled to meet with senior Italian government and international organization officials, including:
| Francesco Lollobrigida, the Italian minister of agriculture, food sovereignty, and forests Marta Youth, deputy chief of mission and chargé d’affaires for the U.S. Embassy Rodney Hunter, chargé d’affaires for the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome Qu Dongyu, UN Food and Agriculture Organization director general Cindy McCain, the UN World Food Program executive director, an American who is the widow of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. |
| The news release noted that Rollins visited the United Kingdom in May and plans to travel to India, Vietnam, Japan, Peru and Brazil over the next four months. The release also included short statements on the Trump administration’s views on agricultural trade with these countries: |
| United Kingdom: “The U.K. is the United States’s 14th largest agricultural export market. U.S. producers face disproportionately high tariffs, small tariff-rate quota volumes, and unjustified non-tariff barriers when exporting to the U.K.” India: “The United States is India’s sixth largest supplier of agricultural products. The U.S. has a $1.3 billion agricultural trade deficit with India.” Brazil: “The United States has a $7 billion agricultural trade deficit with Brazil.” Japan: “Japan is a top five market for many key U.S. commodities, including corn, beef, pork, wheat, rice, and soybeans.” Vietnam: “Vietnam is the United States’s 10th largest agricultural export market. The U.S. has no trade agreement with Vietnam while major competitors like China do.” Peru: “Peru is the United States’s third largest South American market for agricultural exports, and the U.S. remains Peru’s second largest agricultural supplier. Key prospects for U.S. agricultural exports to Peru include ethanol, dairy products, meat, tree nuts, and pulses.” |
