Yoho, Rubio Fire Back in Defense of U.S. Farmers, Administration

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Ted S. Yoho (R-FL) and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), released statements addressing short-sighted criticism by lawmakers and industry groups on the Trump Administration’s decision to terminate a suspension agreement between the Department of Commerce and Mexican tomato exporters. In February, Congressman Yoho and Senator Rubio, with bipartisan support from forty-six Senate and House colleagues, urged Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to withdraw from the flawed agreement.

Congressman Ted S. Yoho:

“For too long, our domestic tomato industry has been harmed by Mexican producers dumping tomatoes into the U.S. market. I am confident that the Department of Commerce made the right decision to withdraw from the Tomato Suspension Agreement, so these unfair trading practices can be properly addressed. Our domestic producers must have a level playing field, and that requires the enforcement of rules that guarantee fair trade.”

Senator Marco Rubio:
 

“Washington’s willingness to sacrifice entire domestic industries and local production just to shave pennies off the costs that American consumers might pay for products is one of the main reasons why Donald Trump is president today. He rightly understood there is no dignity for American workers in buying cheaper, imported goods without domestic production supporting jobs, paychecks, and livelihoods. Florida benefits greatly from fairly traded imports through some of the best seaport infrastructure in the world. Unfortunately, Mexican seasonal fruit and vegetable imports continue to pour in across the southern border with little regard for the rules that are supposed to guarantee that freely imported goods are also fairly traded.”
 
“The faulty economic foundation created by this unfair foreign trade continues to enrich Mexican producers and domestic importers and distributors at the expense of domestic producers. We cannot stand by as some profit from unfair fruit and vegetable imports directly at the expense of their neighbors and countrymen. Fortunately, President Trump and Secretary Ross understand the importance of an economy that values both domestic production and fairly traded import goods. After all, free, fair, and reciprocal trade should not just be a slogan, it must be the only way of doing business with the United States of America.”