Washington, D.C. - House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) issued the following statement after negotiators in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) reached an agreement in Atlanta, GA, earlier this morning.
“We have long discussed the potential benefits of TPP for all of American agriculture. That being said, I have repeatedly expressed concerns to our negotiators about the lack of progress in several key areas that, if not adequately addressed, would make passage of this agreement incredibly difficult in the House. Last week, I sent a letter along with 16 of my colleagues to USTR Ambassador Froman to express concern about lack of market access for rice and dairy and concern about a new carve-out proposal for tobacco, establishing a dangerous new precedent that could negatively impact agriculture going forward. The letter also expressed concern about market access for sugar, encouraging U.S. negotiators not to go beyond the parameters of what the U.S. had already offered after consultation with the U.S. industry. While I am encouraged to hear that U.S. livestock products such as beef and pork will see significant gains in market access, it will take a coalition of many to move TPP over the coming months. At this time, I am skeptical that these concerns were sufficiently addressed but will remain open-minded, and I look forward to studying the agreement,” said Conaway.
