Perdue Wants US/EU Trade Relationship Reset

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says the U.S. and European Union need to reset their trade relationship, especially in when it comes to products from the farm.  And he said that reset needs to take place in the next couple of weeks.

“We have to reconcile the $10-12 billion agricultural deficit with the EU. Our perspective from the United States is the EU has probably twice as many consumers with two thirds available land,” Perdue recently noted.  “Why would you expect to have a $10-12 billion trade deficit with the EU? We believe it's some of the constraints that are here and we would like to have reconciled and resolved.”

Perdue said USDA has prepared a list of those and sent it to Chief Negotiator Robert Lighthizer.  Issues such as the EU's  partial or complete bans on genetically modified foods and U.S. beef raised with hormones.  Issues the U.S. and EU have failed to settle on several attempts, but the Ag Secretary remains confident.

“We think that can be accomplished,” Perdue noted.

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