Nevada’s food and agricultural industries will be highlighted during a week-long trade mission to Vietnam. But some critics worry about the local impact of global trade. Reno Public Radio’s Anh Gray has more.
This April theNevada Department of Agriculture will be participating in its first trade mission with Vietnam. Jeff Sutich is with the agency, and he says the goal is to highlight food products from the state.
“For this trade mission, different meats, or there’s different companies that sell seafood that might be good, beverages are in high demand over there, healthy type products, so any kind of food and agricultural product company that's interested in exporting, we definitely want to help promote them,” Sutich says.
On this mission, Nevada along with several other Western states will be trying to tap into increased opportunities in Vietnam. It’s one of the countries that’s part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership—or TPP—a trade deal awaiting Congressional approval.
But, some critics like Senator Harry Reid caution that global trade deals could end up hurting local producers. Speaking to reporters from Roll Calllast year, Reid says he opposes Congress fast-tracking the trade deal.
“I have never ever in my 33 years in Congress ever supported, ever supported a trade agreement and I’m not going to start now," Reid says. "They’re not good for the American people, they’re not good for working men and women. It puts us at a disadvantage, so the answer is ‘not only no, but hell no.’”
According to theInternational Trade Administration, Nevada exported about $2.3 billion worth of goods to TPP countries in 2014.
