President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday signed the “phase one” trade agreement with China, and in the following days, the White House highlighted two prominent Alabama elected officials for supporting the big announcement.
The agreement includes a commitment from China to buy more American agricultural goods, including soybeans and pork. China has also reportedly pledged to increase its spending on all American goods by $200 billion over the next two years compared to 2017 levels. At least $40 billion of that total will be spent on U.S. farm goods, according to the administration.
The deal was praised by Alabama Farmers Federation president Jimmy Parnell and, as the White House underlined, Governor Kay Ivey (R-AL) and State Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh (R-Anniston).
In an official release from the White House entitled, “WTAS: Support for President Donald J. Trump’s Phase One Trade Agreement With China,” the administration picked out reactions about the trade agreement signing from across the country. WTAS stands for “what they are saying.”
A tweet from Ivey was included in the compilation. She mentioned that Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield was personally on hand to witness the signing ceremony Wednesday at the White House.
I applaud @POTUS for signing Phase 1 of the U.S. trade deal with China. This comprehensive agreement is going to help our nation’s economy & our state tremendously. We are proud to have Commerce Sec. @gregcanfield represent Alabama at this historic ceremony. @MadeinAL #alpolitics
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) January 15, 2020
Marsh was featured as saying, “This agreement is a major win for our economy and should be applauded by all Americans, regardless of political party, as a great first step in creating a more level playing field for the United States. I commend President Trump for his leadership and commitment to negotiate better trade deals which will benefit not only farmers in Alabama but across America.”
RELATED: Alabama Farmers Federation members hear from Trump at national ag conference
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.