TPP

NFU Calls Out Potential TPP Trade Partner for Currency Manipulation

August 20, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

NFU: Currency Manipulation Again Being Used by Potential TPP Partner to Gain Unfair Advantage Over U.S. Farmers and Ranchers

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson today again urged the administration to ensure that the final Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement include strong language against currency manipulation, which has been used recently by two of our trading partners- and consistently by other potential signatories of the TPP – to gain the edge on America’s farmers and ranchers.

“The devaluation of Vietnam’s currency this week and China’s last week underscores that mercantilism is alive and well around the world,” said Johnson. “Congress and the administration should take note that while many nations claim to be willing to drop blatant barriers in the name of free trade, they’re busy erecting new barriers on the side.”

Vietnam is a planned signatory onto the TPP, and will benefit from the elimination of trade barriers by many countries – like the U.S. – where it hopes to gain market share.

“The U.S. needs to prioritize meaningful measures to address currency manipulation with our trading partners,” said Johnson, who urged the administration to be wide-eyed and cautious moving forward with TPP negotiations. “Any major trade agreement that doesn’t have strong and enforceable language against currency manipulation isn’t worth the paper it’s written on,” said Johnson.

Johnson pointed out that currency manipulation is the most significant contributor to the massive U.S. trade deficit, which exceeded $505 billion in 2014.

“The trade deficit keeps growing because everyone seems to be watching out for their own best interests but the U.S.,” said Johnson. “The overall U.S. trade deficit is a 3 percent drag yearly on our national Gross Domestic Product and is robbing rural America and domestic agriculture of its potentially bright future” said Johnson.

“If the TPP is signed without strong provisions against currency manipulation, that deficit will just continue to grow,” he said.

NFU Denounces Chinese Currency Devaluation

August 12, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson today denounced the Chinese government’s recent decision to devalue its currency, an unfair move that hurts U.S. family farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to export goods to China. Johnson called for the administration to ensure currency manipulation is prohibited in the final Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

“This deliberate currency manipulation by the United States’ second largest trading partner, and largest supplier of goods imports, is a prime example for why the U.S. needs to prioritize meaningful measures to address currency manipulation with our trading partners,” said Johnson in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman. “NFU strongly urges the administration to include a prohibition on currency manipulation in the TPP to protect the U.S. from unfair trading practices and preserve jobs across America.”

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NFU’s Johnson Cautions on Pending Trade Deals

April 3, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

from the National Farmers Union

WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson today cautioned the American public – rural and urban alike – to be very leery of the rhetoric being used to sell upcoming trade deals and to insist that any agreement signed by this country has the primary goal of reducing the overall trade deficit.

“Trade is neither inherently good nor is it inherently bad,” said Johnson. “And the string of deals that have been signed into law over the past decade, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the more recent Korean trade deal have failed to deliver prosperity and instead have exported good American jobs while growing the overall trade deficit,” he said.

Johnson noted that in 2014, the trade deficit increased to $505 billion, representing nearly 3 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and slowing growth for the overall economy. “Yes, the positive trade balance of U.S. agriculture trade is good news – but it is massively overshadowed by the alarming overall U.S. trade deficit,” he said.

“And all family farmers and ranchers should take note of that,” he said.

Johnson said that Congress should deny the request of the president, and any president in the future, who asks for Trade Promotion Authority — also known as Fast Track.

“Fast Track allows the president to negotiate these agreements in secret and then present them to Congress for an up or down vote, with any and all amendments forbidden. Trade agreements that lack transparency should raise everyone’s eyebrows,” said Johnson.

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NFU Strong Opposition to Fast Track – Calls for Transparent Trade Deals

March 2, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson urged members of Congress to oppose trade promotion authority – also known as fast track – noting that trade agreements should be fair to all parties involved, and the process should be transparent.

“Trade promotion authority (“fast track”) would remove an important constitutional check on the president’s power to negotiate trade agreements,” noted Johnson in a letter sent to all members of Congress today. “Trade agreements must be fair for all parties involved and should therefore be subjected to review by the Congress – not conducted secretly.”

Johnson reminded members of Congress that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was negotiated behind closed doors with little input from the public or Congress. “Congress should have full opportunity to review the provisions of a trade agreement, consistent with the authority and power endowed by the U.S. Constitution,” he said. “The lack of transparency in negotiating TPP is particularly egregious, considering its expansive scope.”

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OFU 2015 Special Orders of Business

February 3, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Adopted by delegates to the 81st Annual Ohio Farmers Union Convention

You’ll find below a link to our 2015 Special Orders of Business. Each year at the OFU Annual Convention, delegates debate a range of public policy topics they believe need attention from state or federal officials. Many of these are officially adopted as ‘special orders of business’ for OFU to pursue as an organization throughout the rest of the year. This year’s slate of special orders covers topics from taxes to money in politics to the water quality issue in the western basin of Lake Erie.

Click Here for 2015 OFU Special Orders of Business

Click Here for advisory white paper accepted by convention delegates regarding Current Agricultural Use Valuation in Ohio

Read the news release:

Ohio Farmers Union Outlines State, Federal Policy Priorities for 2015

Lake Erie, Pipelines, Taxes and Trade Among Concerns

COLUMBUS – Meeting in Columbus over the past weekend, Ohio’s second-largest general farm organization adopted twelve state and federal agricultural policy priorities for 2015.

Joe Logan, president of the Ohio Farmers Union, said delegates to OFU’s 81^st Annual Convention focused primarily on two issues – water quality in the western basin of Lake Erie and farm real estate (CAUV) taxes.

“Most Ohioans don’t realize that many farmers’ real estate taxes on their farmland have spiked 100, 200 – even up to 300 percent in the past few years,” Logan said.

“Ohio’s program for establishing the tax value of farmland was a major issue for delegates and we approved a policy proposal that we believe would alleviate the shocking increases in tax rates farmers have experienced,” Logan said. “Farmers are being asked to shoulder an unfairly large portion of the total tax burden,” Logan added.

“This is an alarming trend that has been picking up steam in recent years.”

On Lake Erie, Logan said that the “overwhelming majority” of farmers are good stewards of the land and water. Many have adopted conservation, technological and nutrient management best practices to alleviate agricultural run-off into Lake Erie.

“The science tells us that agriculture remains a significant source of the phosphorous feeding harmful algal blooms in the lake. It appears that the legislature is choosing a more regulatory approach to nutrient management. We believe any regulations should be targeted toward those watersheds where problems are known to exist and should deal with all sources of nutrient overloads,” Logan said.

The twelve policy statements, or “special orders of business” for OFU may be found online.

They include statements on:

Water Quality in Ohio
Syngenta GMO Corn Litigation
Current U.S. Trade Policy Concerns
Private Property Rights and Private Sector-Owned Pipelines
Farm Real Estate Taxes – CAUV
Maintaining Guaranteed Landline Telephone Service
Community Right to Know
Seed Saving and Genetic Diversity
A Move to Amend the U.S. Constitution
Severance Taxes on Oil and Gas in Ohio
Change Laws Regarding the Commodity Checkoffs
Funding Claims Under the “Predator Law” in Ohio

Adopted by delegates to the 81st Annual Ohio Farmers Union Convention

NATIONAL FARMERS UNION

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