Chairman Roberts’ Statement on Phase One Trade Agreement with China

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today applauded President Trump’s announcement of a phase one trade deal with China. 

“As the holiday season approaches, the announcement of a phase one trade agreement with China is good news for rural America,” said Chairman Roberts. “I applaud and encourage President Trump and Ambassador Lighthizer to continue to press forward and bring this deal to a close so our agricultural producers can access this important market. In particular, I would also like to thank Ambassador Gregg Doud for his tireless work on behalf of U.S. agriculture.”

Chairman Roberts is an outspoken advocate for free trade and for improving access to global markets for farmers and ranchers. He is also a senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction on trade.

Roberts met today with Chief Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud to learn more about the U.S.-China agreement, as well as other trade-related matters.

In March, Roberts led a bipartisan group of Senators in sending a letter to President Trump supporting “the continued prioritization of a timely, transparent, and science-based system for the approvals of agricultural biotechnology products” with regard to China. 

In June, Roberts held a hearing to learn more about the administration’s efforts to open new and expand existing markets, including China, for agricultural producers. Click here to watch the hearing.

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