U.S. farm lobby turns up heat on Trump team as NAFTA talks near WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With talks to renegotiate the NAFTA trade pact just weeks away, U.S. farm groups and lawmakers from rural states are intensifying lobbying of President Donald Trump’s administration with one central message: leave farming out of it.  Trump blames the North American Free Trade Agreement - the “worst trade deal ever” in his words - for millions of lost manufacturing jobs and promises to tilt it in America’s favor.  But for U.S. farmers the 23-year old pact secures access to stable, lucrative markets in Mexico and Canada that now account for over a quarter of U.S. farm exports.   Now they fear this access could become a bargaining chip in efforts to get a better deal for U.S. manufacturers.  “Perhaps some other sectors of our economy are given better terms and in exchange for that agriculture tariffs would be reintroduced,” said Joe Schuele, a spokesman for the U.S. Meat Export Federation in Denver, Colorado.  Another concern is that the mere uncertainty of open-ended trade talks could drive Mexico to alternative suppliers of grains, dairy products, beef and pork.  Mexico became even more crucial after Trump’s pullout from a vast Pacific Rim trade pact negotiated under Barack Obama dashed farmers’ hopes of free access to more markets.  Next week, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is due to outline the administration’s goals for the NAFTA talks to Congress and the farm lobby has turned up the heat in the past weeks to ensure that its interests will make Lighthizer’s list.  Operating under the umbrella of the U.S. Food and Agriculture Dialogue for Trade, more than 130 commodity groups and agribusiness giants since Trump’s inauguration have been bombarding the new administration with phone calls and letters, public comments to USTR and face-to-face meetings with top officials who have Trump’s ear.  “Our first ask is to do no harm,” said Cassandra Kuball, the head of the umbrella group.  Lobbyists said that Lighthizer, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross have been receptive, but the wild card is how Trump ultimately will come down on the talks. They also wonder what concessions Mexico will seek from Washington in the talks due to start in mid-August.  Among the groups involved are the American Soybean Association, Corn Refiners Association and National Grain and Feed Association and firms such as Land O’Lakes, Inc., Tyson Foods(TSN.N), Inc., Louis Dreyfus Company North America, Archer Daniels Midland Co. and others.  For example, U.S. cotton producers, marketers and shippers in mid-June warned the Trump administration that any weakening of NAFTA “would threaten the health of the U.S. industry and the jobs of the 125,000 Americans employed by it.”  Annual U.S. farm exports to Mexico have grown from about $4 billion in 1994, when NAFTA began, to an estimated $18.5 billion this year. With Canada included, that number is forecast to reach $40 billion, quadrupling under NAFTA.  Republican lawmakers from rural states that have backed Trump in the 2016 election have sought to leverage their political clout to press farmers’ case at a time when they struggle with low crop prices.  Pat Roberts, Republican senator from Kansas, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, said he used an unexpected invitation for a private White House meeting with Trump to plug in agriculture’s cause in NAFTA and beyond.  “He (Trump) wanted to know what was happening in farmland,” Roberts said. “I told him we went through a very rough patch and if we did not have a strong, robust, predictable trade policy, it’s going to make life much more difficult in farm country,” Roberts said of the 45-minute meeting in late June.  In May, 18 Republican senators, mainly from pro-Trump farming states, wrote the administration about the “tremendous growth” in U.S. trade with Mexico and Canada as a result of NAFTA.  “Efforts to abandon the agreement or impose unnecessary restrictions on trade with our North American partners will have devastating economic consequences,” they warned.  Trump’s pledges to crack down on immigration and calls for a wall along the border with Mexico also vex farm state lawmakers.  “What I really need is a good, solid immigration system,” South Dakota Republican Senator Mike Rounds said. Given his state’s low unemployment rate of just around 2.8 percent, farmers and ranchers need better access to legal foreign labor, he said.  Agriculture Secretary Perdue got a taste of farmers’ angst when met cattle ranchers in Nebraska on May 20. The event was held shortly after Washington agreed with China to resume beef exports, but some 60 ranchers who gathered at U.S. Senator Deb Fischer’s Sunny Slope Ranch quickly turned to NAFTA.  “If the president wants to renegotiate that agreement with our neighbors and partners in Mexico and Canada please leave the ag portion of that discussion out,” said Pete McClymont, executive vice president of Nebraska Cattlemen, summarizing the discussion.  While lobbying in Washington, some Republican lawmakers have also met with Mexico’s ambassador and U.S. farming representatives traveled south to assure their partners unsettled by Trump’s “America First” mantra.  “The common comment is: ‘why are you here? The problem is not with us. The problem is in Washington. Why are you talking to us?’” said Tom Sleight, president and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council. “The new normal is that feed buyers, millers, grain buyers are actively looking at alternative sources,” he said.  It will take months to find out how effective the lobbying was. Meantime, some are willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt.  Daryl Haack, a corn and soybean farmer from Primghar in northwest Iowa, like others fears retaliation from either Canada or Mexico, but is optimistic it will not come to that.  “I think President Trump is a negotiator,” he said. “I think he runs bluffs. A lot of negotiators will do that.”  politicsNews
farm lobby turns heat trump team bafta talks near washington reuters with talks negotiate bafta trade pact weeks away farm groups lawmakers rural states intensifying lobbying president donald trump administration one central message leave farming trump blames north american free trade agreement worst trade deal ever words millions lost manufacturing jobs promises tilt america favor but farmers old pact secures access stable lucrative markets mexico canada account quarter farm exports now fear access could become bargaining chip efforts get better deal manufacturers perhaps sectors economy given better terms exchange agriculture tariffs would reintroduced said joe schedule spokesman meat export federation denver colorado another concern mere uncertainty trade talks could drive mexico alternative suppliers grains dairy products beef pork mexico became even crucial trump fallout vast pacific rim trade pact negotiated barack obama dashed farmers hopes free access markets next week trade representative robert lighthizer due outline administration goals bafta talks congress farm lobby turned heat past weeks ensure interests make lighthizer list operating umbrella food agriculture dialogue trade commodity groups agribusiness giants since trump inauguration boarding new administration phone calls letters public comments user meetings top officials trump ear our first ask harm said cassandra ball head umbrella group lobbyists said lighthizer agriculture secretary sony purdue commerce secretary wilbur ross receptive wild card trump ultimately come talks they also wonder concessions mexico seek washington talks due start among groups involved american soybean association corn refinery association national grain feed association firms land o lakes tyson foods louis dreyfus company north america archer daniels midlands others for example cotton producers marketers shoppers warned trump administration weakening bafta would threaten health industry jobs americans employed annual farm exports mexico grown billion bafta began estimated billion year with canada included number forecast reach billion quadrupling bafta republican lawmakers rural states backed trump election sought leverage political clout press farmers case time struggle low crop prices pat roberts republican senator kansas chairs senate agriculture committee said used unexpected invitation private white house meeting trump plug agriculture cause bafta beyond he trump wanted know happening farmland roberts said i told went rough patch strong robust predictable trade policy going make life much difficult farm country roberts said meeting late june in may republican senators mainly farming states wrote administration tremendous growth trade mexico canada result bafta efforts abandon agreement impose unnecessary restrictions trade north american partners devastating economic consequences warned trump pledges crack immigration calls wall along border mexico also sex farm state lawmakers what i really need good solid immigration system south dakota republican senator mike rounds said given state low unemployment rate around percent farmers ranchers need better access legal foreign labor said agriculture secretary purdue got taste farmers angst met cattle ranchers nebraska may the event held shortly washington agreed china resume beef exports ranchers gathered senator deb fischer sunny slope ranch quickly turned bafta if president wants negotiate agreement neighbors partners mexico canada please leave ag portion discussion said pete mcclymont executive vice president nebraska cattlemen summarizing discussion while lobbying washington republican lawmakers also met mexico ambassador farming representatives traveled south assure partners unsettled trump america first mantra the common comment the problem us the problem washington why talking us said tom slight president ceo grains council the new normal feed buyers millers grain buyers actively looking alternative sources said it take months find effective lobbying meantime willing give trump benefit doubt day hack corn soybean farmer primghar northwest iowa like others fears retaliation either canada mexico optimistic come i think president trump negotiator said i think runs bluffs a lot negotiators politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: U.S. farm lobby turns up heat on Trump team as NAFTA talks near WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With talks to renegotiate the NAFTA trade pact just weeks away, U.S. farm groups and lawmakers from rural states are intensifying lobbying of President Donald Trump’s administration with one central message: leave farming out of it.  Trump blames the North American Free Trade Agreement - the “worst trade deal ever” in his words - for millions of lost manufacturing jobs and promises to tilt it in America’s favor.  But for U.S. farmers the 23-year old pact secures access to stable, lucrative markets in Mexico and Canada that now account for over a quarter of U.S. farm exports.   Now they fear this access could become a bargaining chip in efforts to get a better deal for U.S. manufacturers.  “Perhaps some other sectors of our economy are given better terms and in exchange for that agriculture tariffs would be reintroduced,” said Joe Schuele, a spokesman for the U.S. Meat Export Federation in Denver, Colorado.  Another concern is that the mere uncertainty of open-ended trade talks could drive Mexico to alternative suppliers of grains, dairy products, beef and pork.  Mexico became even more crucial after Trump’s pullout from a vast Pacific Rim trade pact negotiated under Barack Obama dashed farmers’ hopes of free access to more markets.  Next week, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is due to outline the administration’s goals for the NAFTA talks to Congress and the farm lobby has turned up the heat in the past weeks to ensure that its interests will make Lighthizer’s list.  Operating under the umbrella of the U.S. Food and Agriculture Dialogue for Trade, more than 130 commodity groups and agribusiness giants since Trump’s inauguration have been bombarding the new administration with phone calls and letters, public comments to USTR and face-to-face meetings with top officials who have Trump’s ear.  “Our first ask is to do no harm,” said Cassandra Kuball, the head of the umbrella group.  Lobbyists said that Lighthizer, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross have been receptive, but the wild card is how Trump ultimately will come down on the talks. They also wonder what concessions Mexico will seek from Washington in the talks due to start in mid-August.  Among the groups involved are the American Soybean Association, Corn Refiners Association and National Grain and Feed Association and firms such as Land O’Lakes, Inc., Tyson Foods(TSN.N), Inc., Louis Dreyfus Company North America, Archer Daniels Midland Co. and others.  For example, U.S. cotton producers, marketers and shippers in mid-June warned the Trump administration that any weakening of NAFTA “would threaten the health of the U.S. industry and the jobs of the 125,000 Americans employed by it.”  Annual U.S. farm exports to Mexico have grown from about $4 billion in 1994, when NAFTA began, to an estimated $18.5 billion this year. With Canada included, that number is forecast to reach $40 billion, quadrupling under NAFTA.  Republican lawmakers from rural states that have backed Trump in the 2016 election have sought to leverage their political clout to press farmers’ case at a time when they struggle with low crop prices.  Pat Roberts, Republican senator from Kansas, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, said he used an unexpected invitation for a private White House meeting with Trump to plug in agriculture’s cause in NAFTA and beyond.  “He (Trump) wanted to know what was happening in farmland,” Roberts said. “I told him we went through a very rough patch and if we did not have a strong, robust, predictable trade policy, it’s going to make life much more difficult in farm country,” Roberts said of the 45-minute meeting in late June.  In May, 18 Republican senators, mainly from pro-Trump farming states, wrote the administration about the “tremendous growth” in U.S. trade with Mexico and Canada as a result of NAFTA.  “Efforts to abandon the agreement or impose unnecessary restrictions on trade with our North American partners will have devastating economic consequences,” they warned.  Trump’s pledges to crack down on immigration and calls for a wall along the border with Mexico also vex farm state lawmakers.  “What I really need is a good, solid immigration system,” South Dakota Republican Senator Mike Rounds said. Given his state’s low unemployment rate of just around 2.8 percent, farmers and ranchers need better access to legal foreign labor, he said.  Agriculture Secretary Perdue got a taste of farmers’ angst when met cattle ranchers in Nebraska on May 20. The event was held shortly after Washington agreed with China to resume beef exports, but some 60 ranchers who gathered at U.S. Senator Deb Fischer’s Sunny Slope Ranch quickly turned to NAFTA.  “If the president wants to renegotiate that agreement with our neighbors and partners in Mexico and Canada please leave the ag portion of that discussion out,” said Pete McClymont, executive vice president of Nebraska Cattlemen, summarizing the discussion.  While lobbying in Washington, some Republican lawmakers have also met with Mexico’s ambassador and U.S. farming representatives traveled south to assure their partners unsettled by Trump’s “America First” mantra.  “The common comment is: ‘why are you here? The problem is not with us. The problem is in Washington. Why are you talking to us?’” said Tom Sleight, president and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council. “The new normal is that feed buyers, millers, grain buyers are actively looking at alternative sources,” he said.  It will take months to find out how effective the lobbying was. Meantime, some are willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt.  Daryl Haack, a corn and soybean farmer from Primghar in northwest Iowa, like others fears retaliation from either Canada or Mexico, but is optimistic it will not come to that.  “I think President Trump is a negotiator,” he said. “I think he runs bluffs. A lot of negotiators will do that.”  politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: farm lobby turns heat trump team bafta talks near washington reuters with talks negotiate bafta trade pact weeks away farm groups lawmakers rural states intensifying lobbying president donald trump administration one central message leave farming trump blames north american free trade agreement worst trade deal ever words millions lost manufacturing jobs promises tilt america favor but farmers old pact secures access stable lucrative markets mexico canada account quarter farm exports now fear access could become bargaining chip efforts get better deal manufacturers perhaps sectors economy given better terms exchange agriculture tariffs would reintroduced said joe schedule spokesman meat export federation denver colorado another concern mere uncertainty trade talks could drive mexico alternative suppliers grains dairy products beef pork mexico became even crucial trump fallout vast pacific rim trade pact negotiated barack obama dashed farmers hopes free access markets next week trade representative robert lighthizer due outline administration goals bafta talks congress farm lobby turned heat past weeks ensure interests make lighthizer list operating umbrella food agriculture dialogue trade commodity groups agribusiness giants since trump inauguration boarding new administration phone calls letters public comments user meetings top officials trump ear our first ask harm said cassandra ball head umbrella group lobbyists said lighthizer agriculture secretary sony purdue commerce secretary wilbur ross receptive wild card trump ultimately come talks they also wonder concessions mexico seek washington talks due start among groups involved american soybean association corn refinery association national grain feed association firms land o lakes tyson foods louis dreyfus company north america archer daniels midlands others for example cotton producers marketers shoppers warned trump administration weakening bafta would threaten health industry jobs americans employed annual farm exports mexico grown billion bafta began estimated billion year with canada included number forecast reach billion quadrupling bafta republican lawmakers rural states backed trump election sought leverage political clout press farmers case time struggle low crop prices pat roberts republican senator kansas chairs senate agriculture committee said used unexpected invitation private white house meeting trump plug agriculture cause bafta beyond he trump wanted know happening farmland roberts said i told went rough patch strong robust predictable trade policy going make life much difficult farm country roberts said meeting late june in may republican senators mainly farming states wrote administration tremendous growth trade mexico canada result bafta efforts abandon agreement impose unnecessary restrictions trade north american partners devastating economic consequences warned trump pledges crack immigration calls wall along border mexico also sex farm state lawmakers what i really need good solid immigration system south dakota republican senator mike rounds said given state low unemployment rate around percent farmers ranchers need better access legal foreign labor said agriculture secretary purdue got taste farmers angst met cattle ranchers nebraska may the event held shortly washington agreed china resume beef exports ranchers gathered senator deb fischer sunny slope ranch quickly turned bafta if president wants negotiate agreement neighbors partners mexico canada please leave ag portion discussion said pete mcclymont executive vice president nebraska cattlemen summarizing discussion while lobbying washington republican lawmakers also met mexico ambassador farming representatives traveled south assure partners unsettled trump america first mantra the common comment the problem us the problem washington why talking us said tom slight president ceo grains council the new normal feed buyers millers grain buyers actively looking alternative sources said it take months find effective lobbying meantime willing give trump benefit doubt day hack corn soybean farmer primghar northwest iowa like others fears retaliation either canada mexico optimistic come i think president trump negotiator said i think runs bluffs a lot negotiators politicsnews