Newhouse: NAFTA Has Been Good For Washington, But Improvements Can Be Made

After more than two decades, has NAFTA benefited Northwest producers?  President Trump said NAFTA has been detrimental to American workers, giving Canada and Mexico unfair advantages.  Representative Dan Newhouse told the Washington Ag Network the agreement has been a  benefit for a variety of growers.

“For the state of Washington the positives have outweighed the negatives overall.  Mexico and Canada are huge markets for us and I think most people in Central Washington agriculture would agree that NAFTA has been a boon.”

However, Newhouse said there are specific areas, such as asparagus, he’d like to see addressed and improved.

“The dairy industry is one that has been, properly one of the most prominent commodities that stands out as a place where we could make improvements.”

Newhouse added the current Canadian system is very favorable to Canada dairy producers, and not so much for American operators.  That’s a playing field he would like to see leveled.

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