Sixty-three of the largest agri-business companies and associations are urging the United States to remain committed to the World Trade Organization.
U.S. President Donald Trump has been critical of the WTO and has said the U.S. ought to pull out.
He has effectively neutered its ability to settle disputes by blocking the appointment of adjudicators to sit on disputes-settling panels.
It means that complaints about violations of WTO trade terms can no longer be settled by appeals to the panels.
Canada has joined a large number of other countries who have set up their own disputes-settling system, but the U.S. is not one of them.
“U.S. membership in the WTO is essential to preserving the rules-based trading system that has paved the way for the significant growth observed in U.S. meat and poultry trade over the last few decades, with 2019 exports exceeding $19.4 billion,” said American Meat Institute president and chief executive officer Julie Anna Potts. “
To remain competitive globally, the U.S. meat and poultry industry depends on strong, enforceable trade agreements that embrace science-based, international standards set forth by the WTO, and other standard-setting organizations.”
It might help more if the 63 would refuse to contribute to the Trump campaign.
