<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class="">NATIONAL FARMERS UNION<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(24, 88, 56);" class="">NAFTA Objectives a Missed Opportunity for Family Farmers<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(24, 88, 56);" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(24, 88, 56);" class="">On Monday, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) this week released its Summary of </span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001eQeMwcCqmHijKN7VEorr493EzoBd3RL8M8S6Ms0zbhCUtLb7oJe535bagKmUKyruXF9jCNYP3iRizcuXCbQx5G4ISVWcONAdviEa6HRvfNby9OW3H1pD5rRmSuPPJ4bl85gfbTerHa1E4b1JxibXCCu3z1HQNYt4Q3j1Q4g1bGxQYWVm6TJohEGyey2kbIuTU9UUpGwRojcw0AAqcvFn_5XT83XFAPilxihFdxpf1HR1cHQ-ks3Tn7ecpzSxTdkd&c=tvV9fcs2zigFK4yKTX0WP2-G33TWOBNYzFJt8JMBpnxyaHUyFvUOzg==&ch=k43E_zzXLcH9L_ifqPiNP4AvZCiDKHn71Xo0VytlSvqyaSD-oV_2Zg==" target="_blank" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(0, 176, 212); text-decoration: none;" class="">Objectives for the North American Free Trade Agreement</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(24, 88, 56);" class=""> (NAFTA) Renegotiation, a document that will guide talks with Canada and Mexico expected to begin in mid-August.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(24, 88, 56);" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(24, 88, 56);" class="">Within its 17 pages, the Objectives outline plans to modernize and strengthen the 23-year-old trade pact by decreasing the U.S. trade deficit, preventing currency manipulation, eliminating non-tariff barriers to U.S. agricultural exports, and strengthening enforcement. Several </span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001eQeMwcCqmHijKN7VEorr493EzoBd3RL8M8S6Ms0zbhCUtLb7oJe535bagKmUKyru2Tmuordj42xqwgjoSmP0KEwrKRcv_yzPc6Z6B-0kFFGPnjXYGEW-D1FXPN9a43SF_kfIDgcJ2e8QWGtUl0l_3FFTRDp7RO5o2W_uz_IvxHYqV0rWa9hF2uxI20MbKdDFzl1bXqSjnBP7ri0U7A1Df3-TsoIHJv9G0Y5-EyfCOl3I82wAuvejDb9eqfORe_bJkYR0ZFRErn4JSiGsD0ohB77_SLuaSGpv8aBXsgFo7XO3aAwb8JXfnA==&c=tvV9fcs2zigFK4yKTX0WP2-G33TWOBNYzFJt8JMBpnxyaHUyFvUOzg==&ch=k43E_zzXLcH9L_ifqPiNP4AvZCiDKHn71Xo0VytlSvqyaSD-oV_2Zg==" target="_blank" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(0, 176, 212); text-decoration: none;" class="">publications</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(24, 88, 56);" class="">, </span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001eQeMwcCqmHijKN7VEorr493EzoBd3RL8M8S6Ms0zbhCUtLb7oJe535bagKmUKyru4PRW9r9mCnk-aEaV_Rbf0axdRSAxzVACi5gGmS8GXZLY0nnMWLrQp4UK3xXI5TjpnuxSWM6Ya1qPntKx36cXbU1fSPT7wYr1cv2vyDBfr--qIb1al0vLp_Pt0L_SSFFnkLR3IIqOUt5Ga3IeN_TorPR7bDVG-ZgTr3s2vP8TAJpzXVU3KWdZVy8s-OEgmli48j4RMSR92E0=&c=tvV9fcs2zigFK4yKTX0WP2-G33TWOBNYzFJt8JMBpnxyaHUyFvUOzg==&ch=k43E_zzXLcH9L_ifqPiNP4AvZCiDKHn71Xo0VytlSvqyaSD-oV_2Zg==" target="_blank" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(0, 176, 212); text-decoration: none;" class="">politicians</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(24, 88, 56);" class="">, and </span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001eQeMwcCqmHijKN7VEorr493EzoBd3RL8M8S6Ms0zbhCUtLb7oJe535bagKmUKyruRL4wEQ3XNzNaKsuaormYeNsG4u1k7-imQfn7xw0TmAeCUV9VxKCjdOCe5MWVU59YIPZjCu9pvfj4KqetHBxM3Vci5x-N8pcSCMOUGsFycCo0Cs6GzZnNqrGwiWIJ8-jboGtn08nYvCUECYYTJ_XMuY94z-atf3RbmwcVY8pEYKgkjQ2yg6pbgm7FCzkjiJLncDVnMvfvLDjEvV0MZcSPKm5B2n9KCGN1rb35-p_02hY=&c=tvV9fcs2zigFK4yKTX0WP2-G33TWOBNYzFJt8JMBpnxyaHUyFvUOzg==&ch=k43E_zzXLcH9L_ifqPiNP4AvZCiDKHn71Xo0VytlSvqyaSD-oV_2Zg==" target="_blank" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(0, 176, 212); text-decoration: none;" class="">entities </span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(24, 88, 56);" class="">noted the Objectives bore a striking resemblance to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an international trade deal President Trump nixed in January.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(24, 88, 56);" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(24, 88, 56);" class="">In a </span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001eQeMwcCqmHijKN7VEorr493EzoBd3RL8M8S6Ms0zbhCUtLb7oJe535bagKmUKyruaFM-MQsiHTVbPte4mo2_EEtSMws27Wn6HuZJemiTW50nE-lI2XpKew_evdJY7UshF5glN3aJW3E-cDpnNqy7MLijfXiLAlDgNJAmOrjENJ-19yj-2l6OJzCDHI6DUoyeokzOU-ui-ET53mIv7AlaZ1LRchoNLT7W-vi5DIgIorhocQp2Hbj5d3y-XU46rP_n9ugqhCDtSlg=&c=tvV9fcs2zigFK4yKTX0WP2-G33TWOBNYzFJt8JMBpnxyaHUyFvUOzg==&ch=k43E_zzXLcH9L_ifqPiNP4AvZCiDKHn71Xo0VytlSvqyaSD-oV_2Zg==" target="_blank" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(0, 176, 212); text-decoration: none;" class="">statement</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(24, 88, 56);" class=""> released earlier this week, NFU expressed mixed reactions to the administration's plan. Though the emphasis on balanced trade and preventing currency manipulation is encouraging, the omission of Country-of-Origin-Labeling (COOL) and controls on corporate consolidation are a missed opportunity for family farmers and ranchers.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div></body></html>