Milestone agreement expands agriculture exports, including meat, poultry, dairy, and more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Senator Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake), Chair of the Minnesota Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance Committee, joined President Donald J. Trump, fellow Minnesota state legislators, and other national and global leaders at the White House for the signing of the landmark Phase One United States-China trade agreement. The historic trade deal impacts numerous areas of the United States and Minnesota economies, including agriculture, energy, manufacturing, financial services, technology transfer, intellectual property, and more.

“It was a great honor to not only join President Trump at the trade agreement signing, but also represent our state on the national stage,” said Senator Westrom. “As the president pointed out during the signing ceremony, this agreement will result in $50 billion in new trade opportunities and agriculture exports to China, much larger than any previous agreement. This should also positively impact our state’s ethanol industry through new energy exports. I look forward to the benefits this agreement will bring to family farmers, small businesses, and consumers in Minnesota. This agreement delivers when farmers needed it most.”

Senator Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks), Vice Chair of the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance Committee, and Representative Debra Kiel (R-Crookston) joined Senator Westrom at the signing ceremony. The White House heralded the agreement as “a dramatic expansion” of U.S. food and agriculture exports, including the areas of meat, poultry, rice, dairy, infant formula, horticultural products, animal feed and feed additives, pet food, and products of agriculture biotechnology.