29.03.2024

Here’s the full $43 billion list of US food makers angry at Trump’s NAFTA threats

The companies and farmers that keep the US food system running are starting to bristle at president Donald Trump’s threats to leave the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.

A long list of major food and agricultural companies and trade associations recently signed onto a letter (pdf) sent to commerce secretary Wilbur Ross, challenging his recent comment that a NAFTA withdrawal would not lead to a significant drop in exports.

“Unless countries are going to be prepared to have their people go hungry or change their diets, I think it’s more of a threat to try to frighten the agricultural community”, Ross said on a panel in Washington in October.

The American food industry-which exported nearly $43 billion in food and agricultultural goods to Canada and Mexico in 2016 alone-has some serious concerns with Ross’ take. They aren’t feeling any less worried after yesterday (Nov. 8), when US Department of Agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue told reporters in Washington that he’s working with the White House and Congress to come up with a plan to protect farmers in the event of a NAFTA pull-out.

The list of names included on the letter is a staggering representation of key players in the global food system. It includes groups that represent the world’s largest food manufacturers, as well as the meat, dairy, candy, peanut, produce, almond, wine, liquor, corn, soybean, and turkey industries, among many others.

Here’s a full list of the 87 signatories:

Signatories to the “Food Agriculture Letter on Importance of North American Market”
Agribusiness Council of Indiana
Agriculture Transportation Coalition
AgVentures NW
Almond Alliance of California
American Bakers Association
American Cotton Shippers Association
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Feed Industry Association
American Frozen Food Institute
American Peanut Council
American Peanut Product Manufacturers
American Seed Trade Association
American Soybean Association
Animal Health Institute
Arizona Grain
Attebury Grain
Aurora Cooperative
Bartlett Grain Company
Beachner Grain
CHS Inc.
CoBank ACB
Corn Refiners Association
CropLife America
Dairy Business Milk Marketing Cooperative
DE Bondurant Grain Co. Inc.
Deere Company
Demeter LP
Distilled Spirits Council of the US
Farmers Grain Terminal
Grain and Feed Association of Illinois
Grain Craft
Grocery Manufacturers Association
Growmark
International Dairy Foods Association
Land O’Lakes
Maplehurst Farms
Michigan Agri-Business Association
Michigan Agricultural Commodities
Michigan Bean Shippers
Montana Grain Elevator Association
National Association of Egg Farmers
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
National Confectioners Association
National Corn Growers Association
National Cotton Council
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Grain and Feed Association
National Milk Producers Federation
National Oilseed Processors Association
National Pork Producers Council
National Renderers Association
National Sorghum Producers
National Turkey Federation
North American Meat Institute
North American Millers’ Association
North Dakota Grain Dealers Association
Northwest Grain Growers
Northwest Horticultural Council
Ohio Agribusiness Association
Ohio Corn Wheat Growers Association
Pet Food Institute
Pride Ag Resources
Produce Coalition for NAFTA
Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association
South Dakota Grain and Feed Association
Stratford Grain Company
Superior Farms
Team Marketing Alliance
Texas Grain and Feed Association
The DeLong Co.
The Wenger Group
TopFlight Grain Cooperative
United Fresh Produce Association
US Apple Association
US Dry Bean Council
US Grains Council
US Hide
US Meat Export Federation
USA Poultry and Egg Export Council
USA Rice
Wheeler Brothers Grain Company
WineAmerica
Wisconsin Agri-Business Association

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