President Donald Trump celebrated his successful trade deals with China, Mexico, and Canada on Sunday, appearing at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Texas.
“We did it. We did it,” Trump said, recalling that his critics said he would never get the North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiated and would never get a deal done with China.
The president noted that the new USMCA trade deal replacing NAFTA had finally passed the Senate last week and he signed the “first phase” of a deal with China.
“Together, we’ve achieved something truly stunning,” Trump said, noting that China had promised to purchase $40-$50 billion of American agricultural products.
Trump acknowledged that the trade fight with China was “nasty” for American farmers but thanked them for their patience.
“This is an incredible success for our entire country, and it was your fortitude, your perseverance, and your devotion that made it all possible,” he said.
The president said that the new deal with China would open up big markets for American producers of beef, pork, poultry, seafood, soybeans, rice, and dairy, as well as infant formula, animal feed, and biotechnology. He also noted improved trade policies with Mexico, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Brazil, Vietnam, and Japan.
“You stayed in the fight,” he said. “You protected our economy and our security. And, together, we all together — we prevailed.”
Trump defied the critics of his trade policies and also mocked Democrats for trying to impeach him.
“We’re achieving what no administration has ever achieved before and what do I get out it?” he asked. “Tell me. I get impeached! That’s what I get out of it.”
Trump also criticized the two “socialist” Senators running for president, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, for trying to raise taxes and level onerous government regulations on their land.
“When it comes to the environment, I will always trust a farmer over a Washington bureaucrat or a left-wing extremist,” he said.