Last week, Senator Reverend Warnock (D-GA) secured commitments from Alexis Taylor, the nominee to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, to further the interests of Georgia’s farmers
Alexis Taylor to Senator Warnock: “I am committed to working with Congress and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to ensure that our trade policy works for all producers, including produce growers from Georgia”
Alexis Taylor to Senator Warnock: “I will also request that the staff of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service explore export promotion opportunities for Georgia’s specialty crop producers”
Alexis Taylor to Senator Warnock: “I appreciate hearing your concern for India’s exorbitantly high tariffs and the negative impacts it imposes on export opportunities for American producers, including Georgia pecan growers. If confirmed, I will work with you and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to reduce the burdensome tariff”
ICYMI from Agri-Pulse: “Eight senators led by Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock are pushing U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to confront India – a companion in the proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework – over its 100% tariff on pecans”
ICYMI—Senator Reverend Warnock on June 9th: “Our farmers are facing trade barriers in international markets right now. This moment of uncertainty in our international markets demands strong leadership”
Washington, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade, secured commitments from Alexis Taylor, the nominee to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, to further the interests of Georgia’s farmers. The Senator submitted Questions for the Record (QFR) to Ms. Alexis Taylor about how she would work alongside Senator Warnock to improve the issues impacting Georgia farmers and agri-businesses. Senator Warnock received guarantees that, if confirmed, Ms. Taylor would work with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to ensure that U.S. trade policy works for all producers from Georgia, as well as work with USDA Foreign Agricultural Service to explore export promotion opportunities for Georgia’s specialty crop producers. Additionally, the Senator secured Ms. Taylor’s commitment to work with the USTR to lift European market barriers for Georgia peanuts and work to reduce burdensome pecan tariffs in India.
On September 27th, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry advanced Ms. Alexis Taylor’s nomination out of the committee. Senator Warnock is urging swift consideration of her nomination by the full U.S. Senate.
As the chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade, Senator Warnock has been laser-focused on pushing the Administration to work to create more favorable trade conditions and expand market access for Georgia’s agriculture sector in international markets. Additionally, Senator Warnock called on his Senate colleagues to quickly consider and confirm nominees for two agricultural trade leadership positions within the Administration to address trade concerns and reduce trade barriers faced by Georgia farmers, including Ms. Taylor’s nomination. In the summer of 2021, Senator Warnock led a bipartisan push in the Senate to reduce restrictive trade barriers and expand export market access for domestic peanut farmers and processors in a letter to USDA and USTR.
See below for Senator Warnock’s QFR and Ms. Taylor’s response:
Senator Warnock: Ms. Taylor, congratulation on your nomination. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade, I held a hearing this year focused on the trade priorities of our farmers. In this hearing, it was clear that our farmers are frustrated with a lack of leadership within the administration on agriculture trade issues. I am thrilled that our committee is now working to advance your nomination. Separately, I also hope the Senate will act to swiftly confirm Doug McKalip to be the Chief Agriculture Negotiator within the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. If confirmed, I look forward to working with you and Mr. McKalip on many issues affecting Georgia’s famers. Georgia’s produce industry has faced unprecedented challenges in recent years, including a significant increase in seasonal Mexican imports. If confirmed, will you commit to working with me, as well as partners at USTR, to address this issue and find ways to better support produce growers in Georgia and across the southeast?
Alexis Taylor: Ensuring that our trade policy works for U.S. producers is critical for strong rural and urban communities across the country. If confirmed, I am committed to working with Congress and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to ensure that our trade policy works for all producers, including produce growers from Georgia.
Senator Warnock: What actions can USDA take to strengthen the competitiveness of Georgia’s specialty crop producers?
Alexis Taylor: If confirmed, I am committed to working with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to find ways to address the challenges of competing with imports of seasonal fruits and vegetables. I will also request that the staff of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service explore export promotion opportunities for Georgia’s specialty crop producers. I will also consult with my colleagues in the domestic agencies of USDA to ensure that Georgia’s specialty crop producers are fully utilizing existing USDA programs. It is important that the U.S. continue to promote research, innovation, and technology advancements, which work together to create strong local and regional markets for producers, as well as help us to grow international markets. U.S. producers set the standard for quality, safety, and sustainability in the world and if confirmed I am committed to ensuring U.S. producers are not disadvantaged by trade barriers and have strong and diverse export markets with meaningful access in which to compete.
Senator Warnock: Last June, I led a bipartisan letter to Secretary Vilsack and Ambassador Tai that was cosigned by 18 of my colleagues. This letter urged USDA and USTR to work together, alongside industry stakeholders, to reduce nontariff trade barriers faced by our peanut farmers when exporting to the European Union. Over a year later, these barriers remain. If confirmed, will you commit to swiftly working with me, as well as industry and USTR partners, to address these trade barriers and expand market access for our domestic peanut industry?
Alexis Taylor: If confirmed, I will work with you and your staff, other interested members of Congress and my USDA, Food and Drug Administration, and U.S. Trade Representative colleagues to continue existing efforts to directly engage our EU counterparts on market barriers related to aflatoxin testing requirements and the treatment of rejected U.S. peanut shipments. I recognize the importance of the EU market for U.S. peanut exporters and will prioritize partnerships with industry to maintain and expand market access for U.S. growers. Non-tariff barriers are a major challenge to market access for many U.S. agricultural products in important markets around the world, including the EU.
Senator Warnock: Georgia is a national leader in pecan production, and my state’s pecan growers benefit from access to strong international markets. I remain concerned that Georgia’s pecan sector is facing an excessively high tariff of up to 100 percent when exporting product to India, functionally closing the market to domestic growers and shellers. If confirmed, will you commit to working with me, as well as partners at USTR, to address this trade barrier and expand export opportunities for Georgia-grown pecans?
Alexis Taylor: I appreciate hearing your concern for India’s exorbitantly high tariffs and the negative impacts it imposes on export opportunities for American producers, including Georgia pecan growers. If confirmed, I will work with you and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to reduce the burdensome tariff. Coordinating with my Foreign Agricultural Service and USTR colleagues, I will continue to raise the issue with India’s government bilaterally and through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework negotiations and the World Trade Organization mechanisms. I will also work with the U.S. pecan industry and the FAS overseas attaches on the ground in India to increase consumer awareness of the product and expand market opportunities.
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