Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate is voicing support for President Donald Trump’s push to renegotiate international trade deals, stating the tariff strategy could bring both immediate and lasting economic advantages for Alabama.
In an interview with WSFA, Pate called the tariff negotiations a necessary “reset” to correct global trade policies that he says have worked against both state and national economies.
“People have an interest because we’re the biggest consumers of any other nation, and so they need us,” Pate said. “It would be hard for them to pivot and sell that much product if we quit buying from them.”
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Earlier this month, Trump announced that countries failing to reach trade agreements with the U.S. before August 1 will face higher tariffs. In the days following the announcement, three nations—Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines—rushed to the negotiating table and struck deals. Japan settled on a reciprocal tariff rate of 15%, while Indonesia and the Philippines agreed to 19%.
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Pate believes that forging these agreements through person-to-person engagement will benefit local economies like Alabama’s.
“It’s like doing business in Montgomery. You do business one person to another,” he said. “You don’t do [business] company to company or nation to state, and so these meetings are about building relationships with other people so when you need them, you can get them to help you.”
While progress has been made with some nations, others have yet to reach a resolution. Both Canada and Mexico—two of America’s largest trading partners—remain without agreements. If a deal is not reached by the August 1 deadline, Canada is expected to face a 35% tariff and Mexico a 30% tariff.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
