CARTHAGE — Rep. Darin LaHood spoke with farmers at the Hancock County Farm Bureau Friday morning about his effort to improve trade and agriculture in rural Illinois.

“Let me just acknowledge in the ‘ag’ community and agribusiness, ’19 was a tough year,” LaHood said. “I know there’s a lot of anxiety and stress in the agriculture community. I’m glad that ’19 is over with and I think there’s some optimism as of 2020.”

Part of the optimism, according to LaHood, stems from USMCA, the recent trade agreement that he said will benefit farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses moving forward.

The agreement, which replaces NAFTA, focuses on trade with Mexico and Canada. It passed on the House of Representatives floor and will be up for a vote on the Senate floor next week.

LaHood pointed out that Mexico and Canada are the United States’ two largest trading partners and that 40 percent of products grown or manufactured in Illinois are sent to one of those two countries.

“This agreement goes a long way with breaking down trade barriers, trade inequities – particularly with dairy and wheat and poultry and livestock – and creates more of an even playing field,” he said.

LaHood also referred to the USMCA as the “largest trading agreement ever negotiated” and said that he was pleased with the job President Donald Trump did in the negotiating process.

The “Phase One” deal with China is another agreement that LaHood supports. The deal, which he said will be signed into law at the White House on Jan. 15, will facilitate an $80 billion purchase of American products from China in the next two years.

“China’s been ripping us off for 25 years,” he said. “They want to steal our technology.”

While he bluntly stated that he isn’t a fan of tariffs because he views them as a tax, LaHood sees a silver lining in the president’s decision to start a tariff war.

“They’re taxes on businesses and they’re taxes on consumers,” he said. “It’s caused some pain, but it at least got their (China’s) attention and it’s going to force them to make some of these changes they need to make on stopping the theft of our intellectual property.”

LaHood stressed that he has the president’s ear when it comes to issues pertaining to the 18th District and that he will continue to use his voice at the national level.

“Let me just say I’m honored to represent you in Washington D.C.,” he said. “I’m proud to represent the 710,000 people in our district, or as I like to tell people, my 710,000 bosses.”

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