Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 10/5/17



Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said Wednesday he expects agricultural topics to be included in the next round, the fourth, of negotiations aimed at overhauling the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada, according to multiple media reports.

Talking to reporters at a Washington International Trade Association event, Perdue said the U.S. specifically will seek to barter for increased access to Canada’s poultry and dairy markets in the next round.

Hinting that the first three rounds of talks didn’t accomplish much, Perdue is quoted as saying the administration now will, "lay some things on the table in this next round ... over some serious issues.”

Beyond NAFTA, Perdue is looking to negotiate new trade deals with other countries, particularly China and Japan, where there is growing demand for agricultural products. He said, according to Politico, that U.S. officials are speaking with Chinese officials weekly to negotiate for wider access for livestock products, among others, partly by selling them on improved U.S. food safety standards.

Meanwhile, separately the U.S. and South Korea on Wednesday expressed their willingness to revise their 2012 free-trade pact after talks in Washington.

“The two sides recognized the need to amend the FTA (free-trade agreement) to enhance mutual benefits of the KORUS FTA,” South Korea’s trade ministry said in a statement, according to a report by Reuters.