The president of the Iowa Farm Bureau says it’s “vitally important” that congress pass the pending “T-P-P” trade deal before year’s end. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership. Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Hill says congress should act after the November election, before the new president takes office. “Every day that we delay is a day that we depreciate the value of the agreement,” Hill says. “It’s a multilateral, comprehensive trade agreement. It includes 12 countries which brings net farm income to the positive by about $4.4 billion a year.”

Hill says, unfortunately, the two major party presidential candidates have “poisoned the well” on the trade pact President Obama’s administration negotiated with 11 other “Pacific Rim” countries. “But we’re hopeful. We’re working on it every day. It’s important to America. It’s important to the world,” Hill says. “And after we get this one done, TTIP — which is the European trade deal — could be executed upon. It’s being negotiated now, but we can’t do that until we get TPP.”

The Trans Pacific Partnership involves a dozen countries with a border that touches the Pacific Ocean. Farm groups say the deal would stop countries from using “non-scientific” reasons for barring the import of U.S. commodities, like corn and soybeans as well as pork, beef and dairy products.

(Radio Iowa)