Colin Woodall is Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Cattleman’s Beef Association. He noted some big things that the cattle industry needs from the executive branch of the government.
First up is turning off that Waters of the USA rule.
“The Waters Rule actually is looking really good. The process is already in place to unwind that rule, and prevent it from going into effect.,” Woodall said. “That is a huge relief for all of us in agriculture, to be able to take that burden away, and allow us to focus on other things.”
“Some of the other things that we’re focused on include comprehensive tax reform. Which would allow us another opportunity to try to kill the death tax. Something we have worked on for years to try to make happen,” he said.
And then there are trade agreements that need to work out.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do on trying to get a bilateral trade agreement put in place with Japan, and also the President is moving forward with his effort to renegotiate NAFTA,” said Woodall. :”We want to make sure that we can maintain, and grow the market access that we have built in Canada and Mexico due to NAFTA.”
Woodall said, NAFTA is definitely important to the beef industry.
“Since NAFTA, we’ve been able to create a $1 billion market into Canada, and a $1 billion market into Mexico. That’s real money regardless which way you slice it, and we do not want to jeopardize that,” he explained.
“I know that the President is trying to address some of his campaign promises, and some of the industries that have had issues with NAFTA, but we’re not one of them. We’re an industry that’s been able to grow and capitalize off of it. Our message to President Trump, is to do no harm here. To make sure that whatever they do, they do not impact the cattle and beef trade provisions,” Woodall said.
Of course, Woodall is the chief NCBA lobbyist, and he’s making sure that information gets to the President and his staff. “In fact, we’re talking to them every day. It’s an extremely focused part of our lobbying effort right now, to make sure that they are
