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Trade

International trade remains a cornerstone of our nation’s economic strength. From Idaho’s high-quality potatoes and dairy products to cutting-edge memory chips, the world wants America’s products and services.

As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I continue to advocate for opening foreign markets to Idaho’s farmers, ranchers, businesses and workers.

This means expanding trade opportunities by breaking down trade barriers; enacting smart trade policies that reflect our national strategic priorities; and conducting rigorous oversight to ensure full enforcement of U.S. rights under our existing agreements.

  • Expanding Market Access: From 1950 through at least the first 16 years of this century, trade expansion increased U.S. GDP by $2.1 trillion.  The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement alone supports 13 million American jobs and nearly one-third of all U.S. agricultural exports.  We can maximize growth and opportunities for Idahoans by increasing our ability to reach overseas customers.
  • Smart Trade Policies: Effective trade agreements—those that expand market access and reduce tariffs on our exports—help Americans and disadvantage China.  Trade policy should help support our domestic industries and secure critical supply chains, so our economy becomes less susceptible to the influence of adversarial states.   The renewal of important trade programs also remains a top priority.  We must actively craft policies that stop other nations from distorting competition and create the employment and growth opportunities the American people deserve.  
  • Enforcing U.S. Rights: Idaho producers often tell me about how unfair trade practices create significant hardships for our agricultural community, including among our dairy, onion, potato, sheep and sugar beet industries.  We must hold our trade partners accountable for carrying out our existing trade agreements.  Robust enforcement ensures a level playing field and sends a clear signal that the United States stands behind its farmers, workers and businesses.  It also gives domestic businesses the stability they need to take full advantage of market-opening opportunities.

Clearly, we should not support just any trade agreement. We need deals which create new opportunities for American farmers, businesses and workers. I will continue to work with Idahoans and my congressional colleagues to press for better market access and enforcement of our trading rights.

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