“It’s un-American not to fight to have an even playing field": Rep. Arrington stresses our unbalanced trade

Lawmakers like Texas Representative Jodey Arrington say trade has been unbalanced for too long.

During a hearing on the Hill this week, he said the current trade rules would never fly if it was played like a basketball game.

“You know, I can’t imagine the Texas Tech Raiders taking on the Arkansas Hogs and let the Arkansas Razorbacks shoot lay-ups for their free throws, or pick up the ball and run with it instead of dribbling, I mean can you ever imagine watching a competition where there were two sets of rules. Now, we’d still beat them, no question, under any set of rules and circumstances, but anyway, it just seems to me that it’s un-American not to fight for our manufacturers, producers, and workers to simply have an even playing field.”

Arrington made those comments during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on trade. Several ag groups spoke before the panel, highlighting the need to keep trade affordable.

Related Stories
March cold storage data showed generally tighter year-over-year stock levels across several key meat and dairy categories.
U.S. Soybean Export Council CEO Jim Sutter joins us to discuss the impact of new trade development funding for U.S. soy.
Florida’s import rule shows New World screwworm concerns are already affecting livestock movement and market conditions.
Steady Panama Canal operations help support more predictable shipping conditions for global agriculture.
Grain movement stayed active, with barges showing the strongest weekly gain while rail and ocean signals remained mixed.
Rising ethanol stocks and softer gasoline demand bear watching, but stronger blending activity and exports offered some support.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Patrick Gottsch, founder and chairman of RFD-TV, testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in May 2014. Read his full testimony: “Competition in the Video and Broadband Markets: the Proposed Merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable.”
Dr. Harry Anderson will discuss and highlight Total Feeds and the different brands they offer on the market today.
Cabela’s Senior Wildlife Biologist, Rans Thomas, will discuss improving general wildlife and land management techniques on your property with the assistance of Cabela’s products and expertise.
Join a group of John Deere Product experts as they discuss how the all-new 4M and 4R Series Compact Utility Tractors are changing the game with superior technology.
AGCO Gleaner’s Kevin Bien will discuss their newest series of combine harvesters and will be making a very special announcement!