Highlight the Need to Pass USMCA
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) today applauded President Donald Trump’s Executive Order released this week on modernizing the regulatory framework for agricultural biotechnology products.
“Biotechnology regulations are cumbersome and costly, and they often stifle biotech startups in North Dakota and across the country from making the advancements that will keep American agriculture at the forefront of biotechnology,” said Senator Cramer. “I applaud President Trump and Secretary Perdue for taking steps to modernize the biotech regulatory process.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), this Executive Order will help “facilitate the innovation of agricultural biotechnology to the market efficiently, consistently, and safely under a predictable, consistent, transparent, and science-based regulatory framework.”
North Dakota is a premier location for those involved in the research, development, and production of biotechnology, such as the members of the North Dakota Corn Growers Association.
“On behalf of North Dakota Corn Growers, we would like to thank President Trump for recognizing the role biotech plays in producing feed, fuel, and fiber,” said Randy Melvin, President of the North Dakota Corn Growers Association. “We appreciate the efforts Senator Cramer took to inform President Trump about the advantages the Biotech Executive Order would have for North Dakota agricultural producers.”
The National Agricultural Genotyping Center, a corporation partnered with the Corn Growers which exists to turn scientific discoveries into agricultural solutions, is also located in Fargo. The city was chosen for this center after then-Representative Cramer wrote a letter with North Dakota’s Congressional delegation urging the National Corn Growers Association to select Fargo.
This Executive Order also serves as a reminder of the need for Congress to pass the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Trade Agreement.
“USMCA includes provisions that enhance collaboration on biotechnology trade issues,” concluded Senator Cramer. “Passing USMCA would represent another step toward advancing America’s agricultural biotechnology.”
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