(NAFB) – Farmers for Free Trade this week implored all 2024 presidential candidates to prioritize new market access trade agreements to strengthen U.S. agriculture and decrease reliance on China.

The organization also called on the presidential candidates to hold China accountable in a responsible manner that does not endanger U.S. food and agriculture’s largest export market or threaten American farmers with new retaliatory tariffs. In a letter, the organization says, “The U.S. needs to again take the lead in negotiating new FTAs with other countries and work to strengthen and reform the rules-based multilateral trading system.”

Such agreements could protect American workers and the environment, help contain China’s growing geopolitical influence, and open new export markets for our farmers by meaningfully reducing and eliminating tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers. The letter, which comes shortly before the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle, was sent to all presidential campaigns.