Jun 3, 2009

How Will Mexico’s Tariffs Affect NAFTA’s Future?

NAFTA will survive. However, it once again will be weakened with Mexico’s decision to impose stiff tariffs on the United States. Our country will need to evaluate if we need to impose similar tariffs on their products passing over U.S. borders.

I think it is imperative that vigorous negotiations continue. A compromise that both countries can live with is definitely out there. Both countries need each other’s products.

It is also extremely important to gain a compromise because Mexico is a neighboring country to the United States, which makes for an excellent trading partner.

Douglas J. Kammann
Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer
Michigan Farm Bureau
Lansing, Mich.

Since the U.S. government will not allow Mexican trucks into the United States due to the idea that U.S.-designed and -built trucks are unsafe, it has caused a senseless trade war. But it’s OK for Wal-Mart, Tyson, Costco, HEB, Lowe’s and Home Depot truck rigs to run wild on the highways in Mexico? We need leadership from the U.S. Trade Representative, USDA, the Department of Transportation and the unions to sit down and hammer out an agreement with Mexico.

Mexico is one of the United States’ largest trading partners, and it’s three to one in favor of the United States.

Don van de Werken
J&D Blueberry Farm
Poplarville, Miss.

Maybe they will raise their tariffs so high Wal-Mart will quit buying what they call fresh produce from Mexico.
Our people would be a whole lot safer than taking the chance of eating what they call food. Time to start buying local and save your small farms and kick the big mega farms to the curb.

Lonny LeFever
Champaign County Farmers’ Market President
(Lonny’s Green Acres)
Urbana, Ohio

What effect? We are now more dependent than ever for Mexican vegetables due to a “brilliant” Congress that, for one, thinks a species of minnow is much more important than a dependable and safe U.S. food supply. For decades, we have taken our best growing regions for all the minor crops and stupidly turned them into something else, and we still continue to do so.

Today, we are dependent on third world countries for over 40 percent of all the fruits and vegetables consumed in this country. So much for food security! Rather than look outside this country, legislators will place more restrictions, regulations, fees and false safeguards on U.S. farmers, internally forcing more to be unable to financially compete with imports. In no way will this Congress and this administration allow shortages, and so we will just let the flow continue to increase, regardless of where it originates.

Mexico has the upper hand on negotiations. The United States needs Mexico, not the reverse.

Chris Watt
Watt Farms
Albion, N.Y.