From staff reports OKLAHOMA CITY – U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) criticized the Biden administration last week for failing to boost U.S agricultural exports and enhance the competitiveness of American products abroad. Additionally, Lankford and South Dakota Sen. John Thune, Arkansas Sen. John Boozman and Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo urged U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to address the issue.
“We expect trade to fluctuate in response to macroeconomic factors and market conditions,” wrote the Senators. “However, the current sharp decline in US agricultural exports is directly attributable to and exacerbated by an unambitious US trade strategy that is failing to meaningfully expand market access or reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade.”
The letter also said that the Biden administration “continually refuses to pursue tradition free trade agreements” while China, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom have made trade pacts that “diminish American export opportunities and global economic influence.”
According to OK Energy Today, the letter was also signed by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Roger Marshall (R-Kans.), Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.).