U.S. and Canadian Farm Groups Support Strong Trading Partnership

The leaders of the U.S. National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) in a joint statement today urged Canadian and U.S. officials to preserve the strong, longstanding trade relationship between the two countries

Both the U.S. National Farmers Union and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture advocate on behalf of nearly a half million farmers in their respected countries.

As a result of escalating trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa, both CFA President Ron Bonnett and NFU President Roger Johnson came together and issued the following statement:

“No heated rhetoric nor inflammatory remark could possibly represent the positive sentiment that American and Canadian farmers share”

 

“American and Canadian farmers and ranchers have long enjoyed a positive and rewarding trading relationship based on mutual respect and economic cooperation. Our nations trade more than $40 billion (USD) in agricultural products each year, and that number continues to climb as new opportunities arise between our markets.

“Given the global food and on-farm challenges we are facing and will face in the future, American and Canadian farmers need the certainty that the Canada-U.S. trading relationship has provided for our farm products. To disrupt this relationship would be detrimental for farmers on both sides of the border, as our agricultural sectors are heavily integrated and, to a large extent, rely upon one another for each other’s success.

“No heated rhetoric nor inflammatory remark could possibly represent the positive sentiment that American and Canadian farmers share for each other’s nation. We urge our respective officials to engage in positive discourse that protects the strong trade ties that benefit American and Canadian farmers alike.”