Loading video...
Source: Congress.gov
Participants
Transcript
The subcommittee will come to order. Thank you to the subcommittee members and certainly our witnesses today for joining us for the second trade subcommittee hearing of the 119th Congress. This hearing is another opportunity for members to articulate their trade priorities ahead of the significant steps we anticipate in the implementation of President Trump's America First trade policy in April.
First and foremost, I am confident we will build upon the historic trade negotiation successes of President Trump's first term. In four years, the Trump administration was able to fundamentally alter the trajectory of U.S. trade policy through new agreements with our top trading partners, including the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, USMCA, as we know, the China Phase I Agreement, and the United States-Japan Trade Agreement. These agreements tore down a litany of tariff and non-tariff barriers facing American farmers, manufacturers, and service providers, to level the playing field for American industry and workers. They achieved fair and reciprocal treatment for the U.S. and enjoyed substantial support within Congress among my constituents and with many stakeholders across our country. Further, President Trump sought to continue this momentum through comprehensive trade negotiations with the UK and Kenya, both of which were strongly supported by many of the members here today and on both sides of the aisle. Unfortunately, this progress was hindered by a passive trade agenda during the last four years. Meaningful talks with the UK and Kenya were stalled or replaced with, quote, frameworks and dialogues, end quote, and effective enforcement of most aspects of our trade agreements was put on hold. Meanwhile, our adversaries forged ahead. China remains active throughout the world, striking new trade agreements which spread its malign influence and shape the global economy according to its priorities. Our friends and allies put in place new discriminatory barriers against our companies and producers with little fear of a strong U.S. response. This is why I'm appreciative of the Trump administration's renewed engagement with our trading partners starting day one. This engagement will be key to new bilateral or sectoral trade agreement negotiations while conducting a comprehensive assessment of global tariff and non-tariff barriers to prioritize through trade negotiations. Our witnesses here today represent a wide range of sectors within the economy, including agriculture, manufacturing and services.
I look forward to hearing as each of you hearing from all of you as you highlight opportunities and barriers which need to be addressed through strategic trade negotiations. I will note, while this sector is not directly represented on today's panel, there are also significant opportunities to increase U.S. energy exports. I'm very glad to see President Trump's leadership in increasing U.S. energy dominance. I am proud to represent Nebraska's third district, which leads the nation in agriculture production. Producers in my district know firsthand how critical trade is, especially considering American farmers and ranchers face the highest tariffs. With trade agreements which eliminate these barriers, our farmers thrive. For example, among our top five beef export destinations, American producers receive preferential tariff treatment through existing trade agreements with four of them. When given a level playing field, American producers win. The same is true for manufacturing. Today, we'll hear from Harley Davidson about some egregious tariff barriers facing American motorcycle exports. When American companies can grow and compete, both at home and abroad, we share culture, increase global ties, and strengthen our economy. With fair treatment abroad, American manufacturing can thrive and exports will grow. Without it, American workers and consumers are harmed. In services, America is the clear global leader. We rely on fair treatment and access to markets abroad to maintain our competitive edge. A robust services sector strengthens our economy and allows American manufacturing and agriculture to thrive, increasing jobs and growing our economy. The challenges and opportunities in each of these sectors make clear we must get back to the negotiating table and do so from a position of strength. I look forward to working with Ambassador Greer and Secretary Lutnick to build on areas of success in our current trade agreements while moving forward aggressively to enforce all aspects of those agreements and eliminate additional barriers to U.S. exports around the world.
Sign up for free to see the full transcript
Accounts help us prevent bots from abusing our site. Accounts are free and will allow you to access the full transcript.