Hyde-Smith Presses USDA Nominee on Trade Barriers Facing U.S. Agriculture

WASHINGTON, D.C. (VDN) — U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi urged a top USDA nominee Tuesday to help remove trade barriers hurting American farmers.

At a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, Hyde-Smith questioned Luke Lindberg, President Donald Trump’s pick for Undersecretary of Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. She asked him to fight unfair foreign restrictions that limit U.S. agriculture exports.

“Mississippi producers are under pressure,” Hyde-Smith said. “We need a level playing field. Other nations, like China, take advantage of global markets. U.S. producers deserve better.”

Hyde-Smith focused on foreign bans linked to animal disease outbreaks. She said these restrictions often lack a scientific basis and drag on too long.

“China used BSE as an excuse to block U.S. beef for over 13 years,” she said. “That wasn’t fair to our producers.”

Lindberg agreed. He promised to push back on non-science-based trade barriers and stand up for U.S. farmers.

“I’ll show up in those countries, knock on doors, and demand change,” he said. “This won’t be acceptable under President Trump’s America First agenda.”

Hyde-Smith also raised concerns about imported catfish, especially from Vietnam. She said these imports often undercut U.S. producers and may be unsafe.

“Mississippi leads in catfish production,” she said. “Our growers follow strict safety and environmental standards. We need strong inspection enforcement.”

Lindberg said he would work with USDA and other agencies to protect U.S. catfish producers.

“It’s hard to believe we import 75% of our seafood,” he said. “I’ll fight to make sure our producers can compete at home.”

The committee also reviewed Devon Westhill’s nomination as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights.

The video of the session can be found here.