It’s all about creating more opportunities for Indiana farmers to sell their grain and livestock. That’s why Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) says he is pushing President Biden and his administration to open up additional foreign markets for Indiana farmers and ag businesses to sell more of their products.
“This administration, the Biden administration, really needs to start negotiating more trade agreements,” says Young. He serves on the Senate Finance Committee which oversees international trade.
“The word ‘trade’ has become a four-letter word, unfortunately, with this administration,” says Young. “We know back home that we’re a manufacturing and farming state and trade is essential to the lifeblood of our economy”
Even though China is the largest market for U.S. ag exports, Young says recent trade deals have been tipped too far in China’s favor.
“China will continue to be open, but we cannot have an unfair, imbalanced playing field when it comes to our trade relations with China,” says Young. “The notion of reciprocity; if they allow us to sell certain ways then we’ll allow them to sell certain ways, is really important. In the past we’ve given China more favorable treatment than American companies and growers and others realize and I think that needs to change.”
That’s why Young says it’s important to look at expanding trade opportunities with the rest of Asia – as well as Africa.
“Indiana farmers ought to be selling more GMO products at an affordable cost into Africa, but they’re prohibited from doing so because of European restrictions,” says Young. “There’s a lot of important work to be done. I’ll be doing everything I can from a legislative standpoint on behalf of our productive Hoosier farmers.”
Last year alone, China bought $33 billion worth of U.S. ag products, up 25 percent in just one year from 2020.
