Grassley defends NAFTA in Breitbart op-ed

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) defended the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in a Breitbart News op-ed Friday, citing the trade deal’s importance for Iowa farmers.

Grassley writes that Iowa’s agricultural exports depend on the trade agreement, and warns that Trump’s threats to fully withdraw from NAFTA could devastate the farming industry.

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“In my home state of Iowa, one out of five jobs is trade-dependent. Every third row of soybeans is planted for export, 60 percent of Iowa corn and 77 percent of poultry products are exported to countries in the North American Free Trade Agreement,” Grassley writes. “Needless to say, smart trade policies have a major and direct impact on the health of the economy in Iowa.”

“In an ‘America First’ agenda, withdrawing from NAFTA would be a mistake and cause serious, negative consequences,” he adds.

The Iowa senator does concede, however, that the trade agreement could be improved. In the piece, he argues for a “smart renegotiation” of the deal alongside the changes to tax rates passed in the Republican tax-reform plan.

“A smart renegotiation of NAFTA would continue building on these early successes,” Grassley says, referring to provisions in the GOP tax bill. “Improvements to the agreement would unlock additional potential for productivity and prosperity in America’s heartland.”

“I’m confident that we can negotiate a fair deal that will put farmers first and encourage continued economic growth and prosperity in rural America,” he concludes.