Thune Statement on Trade Deal With Japan
“Any day that we can create more opportunities for U.S. companies to reach new or expanded markets around the world is a good day, and I can say with confidence that today is a good day.”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today issued the following statement after President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a limited trade agreement between the two countries. The agreement will result in lower tariffs on U.S. agricultural products and streamline rules with respect to digital trade between the United States and Japan. Thune has been a strong advocate of a bilateral trade agreement with Japan ever since the United States announced it would withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multilateral trade deal that would have included Japan.
“Amid what seems like a tidal wave of obstacles this year, this is exactly the kind of news farm country has been waiting for, and I expect this deal, once approved by Japan, will have a direct and positive effect on the U.S. agriculture industry,” said Thune. “In addition to helping beef and pork producers, this agreement will boost America’s dairy, ethanol, and wheat industries. Any day that we can create more opportunities for U.S. companies to reach new or expanded markets around the world is a good day, and I can say with confidence that today is a good day. I look forward to more deals that will open new markets around the world.”
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Let’s talk about Trump’s trade war with China Senator Thune and why you as a Republican have become a protectionist.
What was gained by Trump backing out and re-doing the “deal”? Ego boost?
Instead of updating these agreements, Trump, as a matter of ego (like you said), backs out of them and then originates a new one claiming victory while deceiving his far-right base to his success. Only China has called Trump’s bluff and Donald can’t handle it. This is Trump’s game. Senator Thune should concern himself with saving our Republican party rather than kowtowing to this corrupt president; all of which seems to have come to fruition with yet another major mistake made by our president over the Ukraine issue. I expect this latest mistake to be the end of the Trump presidency and the end to the Republican party for decades to come as a devout socialist gets ushered into the White House in 2020. God help the U.S.
I like your prediction, Jeff! Thanks for being a sane Republican.
Anon 5:30, you left out the “in”.
Trump wouldn’t have to do so much heavy lifting if the pathetic prior presidents had done anything to push China to quit giving us the shaft. The blame is clearly on those who came before, and Trump is trying to help the country, unlike every Democrat now in office.
“China giving us the shaft”? Tell that to Apple, Nike, and more of the largest U.S. corporations who would never have been without China.
Ah there’s that old “blame the predecessor” argument. Sometimes a bad deal is better than no deal.
Senator Thune, if you ever had any job other than what your current occupation is you would know that there are tough jobs in every walk of life and not just farming. Others do not get the luxury of millions of dollars being bequeathed to them and have to work from scratch to make their way in life. Others also don’t have the luxury of the federal government bailing them out during bad financial times like your farmers. South Dakota is more than just farmers Senator Thune.
Being an expert in trade, the USMCA is nothing more than an update of NAFTA and NAFTA’s most critical element that needed to be changed, and wasn’t via Trump’s revision (a win for Canada and Mexico), the “dispute settlements” clause, is cause for the USMCA to be rejected by Congress. Senator, Donald Trump isn’t the most stable genius POTUS, or businessman, you think he is and the USMCA revision is proof of his administration not considering and listening to the facts of such trade issues as is also apparent in his US/China trade war where you just don’t get it Senator.
A century old Southern California avocado industry has been severely depleted due to the lack of a mechanism to address dumping of cheap Mexican avocados into the US with no method, other than a week Section 19 of NAFTA, to address the imbalance.
I guess you politicians don’t do much critical thinking while holding office and without any experience or relative education on the many issues you vote on gives we Americans a rather uncertainty on whose running our nation and why.