As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which has primary jurisdiction over trade policy, Senator Grassley has an integral role in developing and implementing our nation’s trade policy. As a farmer himself, Senator Grassley also knows how important foreign markets are for the price of Iowa’s corn, soybeans, beef and pork. That is why he has constantly worked to reduce trade barriers for U.S. products in foreign markets.
Following the farm crisis in the 1980’s, Senator Grassley started his Ambassadors Tour to create goodwill for Iowa’s products with Ambassadors to the U.S. from around the world. The Ambassadors Tour welcomed Ambassadors to Iowa for a week in August to meet the Iowans who produce the products that are exported to the world.
Senator Grassley has worked to expand and improve market opportunities with our trading partners around the globe, including landmark free trade agreements with Australia and Central America. More recently, Senator Grassley shepherded the newly enacted United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) through Congress as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. The USCMA modernizes the trading relationships of the North American marketplace and sets a new template for future U.S. trade agreements.