During a meeting with farm-state lawmakers, President Donald Trump said he has directed his trade team to look into rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Meeting with Senators and other leaders from the Midwest, President Trump heard of the troubles his trade policy is posing to agriculture, and the benefits of TPP to farmers and ranchers. Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who attended the meeting, says rejoining TPP is the “best thing” the U.S. can do to “push back” against China. Covering all products grown in the United States, at the time of negotiation, TPP was estimated to add $4.4 billion to cash receipts for farmers and ranchers. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa says the meeting was to stress the importance of increasing market access to protect farmers. Farm groups say farmers would rather trade, than take subsidies, to be profitable, in referring to the trade dispute with China and the proposed tariffs as a result. President Trump has promised to support farmers through a trade war, which many speculate would come from the Commodity Credit Corporation.
