While Canadian beef producers have heard the protectionist, America first talk from President Donald Trump, they are hopeful their shared interests with American counterparts means the industry north of the border will not suffer.
That’s the message Canadians are taking back from this week’s Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show in Nashville.
“There’s definitely some concerns but we’ve got partners in the U.S. that have interests in line with ours. Things that would hurt our industry would also their industry,” said Ryan Beierbach, chairman of Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association.
On Wednesday, Beierbach and other beef industry officials from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, met at the conference to discuss industry concerns between the thee nations under the new American administration.
Trump hasn’t hidden his thoughts in regards to international trade. His interests lie in putting America first.
At the meeting, representatives from the NCBA, one of the largest cattle producer groups in the U.S., said they’re going to try to work with Trump and his administration in an adviser roll. They want to make sure he sees the value of trade to the cattle industry.
“They’re definitely on our side to help us out, make sure that the borders stay as open, or as easy to transport cattle through as they have been,” Beierbach said.
Trump has already pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and has stated his intentions to look into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and renegotiate the trade deal in order to get the best deal for Americans.
“(NCBA) said the bar’s set already. So unless it’s better for everybody involved in NAFTA and better than what North America had on TPP then it’s not a better deal,” Beierbach said.
Trump’s cabinet appointments do worry the Canadian beef industry, though. His picks included Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn for director of the National Economic Council, lawyer Robert Lighthizer for U.S. trade representative, billionaire investor Wilbur Ross for commerce secretary and Peter Navarro, a professor of economics and public policy, to oversea the newly created White House National Trade Council. All have been known for more closely following Trump’s ideologies than others.
“(NCBA) said (Cohn) could be more concerned about … thinking similar to Trump, in (that they would want to) get the best deal and not so much where it can be a win-win situation (for both countries),” Beierbach said.
The agriculture secretary appointment however has the industry feeling hopeful. A veterinarian by trade and former governor of Georgia, Sonny Perdue, has been favourable to the agriculture industry in the past.
Source : Leaderpost