(Radio Iowa/Brownfield Ag News) — Two of the Trump Administration’s top trade officials attended this week’s Midwest U.S. – Japan Association Conference in Omaha. Gregg Doud is the chief ag negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office. Doud says trade talks with Canada will hopefully wrap up soon, but Doud says it’s important to get the deal right.

“Both countries are working very hard,” Doud says. “You know, still obviously things to talk about and get sorted out.” Ted McKinney is undersecretary for trade in the U-S-D-A. He acknowledges Trump’s trade policies are making farm country nervous.

“For sure they’re nervous, there’s no doubt. I’m nervous, for goodness sake,” McKinney says. “If we can move through this, I call it ‘right sizing,’ then I think the pathway on the other side is more smooth. It’s not as bumpy. There’s less turbulence. It’s a brighter, sunshiny day perhaps, but we cannot vacate this now, otherwise we will have lost everything we’ve gained.”

McKinney says the NAFTA re-negotiation “seems like it’s very close” to being completed. McKinney will meet today (Wednesday) in Washington with the vice minister of agriculture from China. McKinney, though, cautions that a “free, fair and reciprocal” trade deal with China will take a while to achieve.

(Reporting by Ken Anderson of Brownfield Ag News)