European agricultural and co-operative stakeholders recently met US policymakers in Washington to reaffirm the importance of strong trade relationships.
The three-day visit saw representatives from Copa and Cogeca, the united voice of European farmers and their co-ops, travel to Washington to engage in a dialogue on agricultural trade, market access, and regulatory cooperation.
The delegation was led by Copa president Massimiliano Giansanti and Cogeca president Lennart Nilsson. As part of their visit, they had meetings with representatives from the US Senate Agriculture Committee, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and agrifood industry organisations, such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, the National Farmers Union and the US Soybean Export Council.
Copa and Cogeca reaffirmed the importance of maintaining strong ties with their US counterparts. Copa and Cogeca also engaged with government officials, to whom it highlighted “the need for a rules-based, fair-trade system that supports sustainable growth”.
“Our discussions with US stakeholders have made it clear that American farmers and co-operatives share our concerns about escalating trade tensions,” said Nilsson. “The agricultural sector is strategic and essential for both our economies. Instead of being drawn into trade conflicts, we must focus on strengthening cooperation, maintaining predictability, and ensuring that trade policies support – rather than undermine – our farmers and co-operatives.”
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“This visit and exchanges with our counterparts have reinforced the need for strong transatlantic partnerships in agriculture,” said Giansanti. “Farmers should not become collateral damage in broader trade disputes. European farmers need stability, predictability and fair access to international markets. We expect the European Commission to ensure that the agri-food sector is kept out of any retaliatory measures, particularly in disputes that do not concern it and that it acknowledges the fact that maintaining food production is Europe is key for its security.”
Copa and Cogeca reaffirmed their commitment to continue fostering strong transatlantic agricultural ties and ensuring that transatlantic trade remains “mutually beneficial, fair, and sustainable”.
The two apexes also call for the continuation of the work of the EU-US Collaboration Platform on Agriculture, as a means to strengthen dialogue and enhance collaboration between the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development and the US Department for Agriculture.
Earlier in March, US president Donald Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on all EU steel and aluminium imports. The European Commission announced retaliatory trade tariffs on US goods worth €26bn, but delayed implementation until mid-April to prepare for the possible impact of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.
