A coalition of 30 agriculture and food organizations submitted a letter this week calling on congressional leaders to ensure support for U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization. The letter emphasizes the importance of global trade to the nation’s farmers and ranchers and the role of rules-based systems to further expansion of U.S. food and agricultural exports.
The letter was addressed to the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee, which maintain jurisdiction over trade policy on Capitol Hill.
“To continue feeding the world and growing food and agricultural products, the United States must step up and lead at the WTO. Without the WTO, our country will lose critical market access for American food and agricultural exports, but more importantly, we will lose the opportunity to build rules that allow us to feed the world. Challenges with the WTO’s functionality need not result in a closing of markets to U.S. food and agriculture goods, nor a crisis with the United States’ loss as a global leader within the WTO. Rather, we should take this opportunity to refocus and leverage the WTO in support of a market based global economy that makes America strong, safe and prosperous,” the groups note in the letter.
The letter – co-led by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) – includes support from organizations representing industries throughout the value chain, including producers, processors, export promoters, and more.
“Since the U.S. joined the WTO in 1995, American food and agriculture have benefited from a more stable and predictable global trading system, “said IDFA President and CEO Michael Dykes, D.V.M. “That foundation has allowed us to deliver safe, nutritious and high-quality products to customers around the world, supporting global food security and improved nutrition. Continued U.S. leadership at the WTO is essential to build on that progress and ensure we remain a trusted partner in meeting the needs of global customers.”
“U.S. global leadership is vital to ensuring the future of rules-based trade that benefits American agriculture,” said CRA President and CEO John Bode. “The WTO is not without its flaws, but it is foundational to our existing trading system and includes rules and principles that are critical to our industry. The WTO and the people working to uphold order in global trade deserve the strong support of the U.S. government.”
Annual agricultural exports have grown from $62 billion when the U.S joined the WTO in 1995 to $176 billion in 2024. American membership in the organization has led to the elimination of trade-distorting subsidies around the world, the establishment of tariff-rate quotas, and more efficient border procedures, among many other trade-promoting policies.
The organizations also highlighted the importance of the WTO as China seeks to expand its leadership role in global trade, something that could expand without effective U.S. action in the rules-based trading space.
See the full text of the letter sent to Congress here.
