Photo by Central College Communications State

During a recent visit to Central College, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig discussed the ongoing challenges farmers have faced during ongoing trade disputes with foreign countries.

Naig says his biggest push is for legislators to finalize the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, an attempt to modernize NAFTA and the free trade agreements between North American countries.

“Canada and Mexico are Iowa’s No. 1 and No. 2 trading partners,” he says. “The ability to get that deal done, and frankly, that’s a source of great frustration for folks–that deal was negotiated a year ago, and what we need to have happen to for congress is to pass the USMCA.”

He says the state recently received good news as it related to trade with Japan, but that China remains a sore spot for many, and he’s hopeful progress can still be made.