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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION 765

 
2    WHEREAS, Agricultural productivity in the United States is
3growing faster than domestic demand; and
 
4    WHEREAS, U.S. farmers and agricultural firms rely heavily
5on export markets to sustain adequate prices for agricultural
6products with as much as one in three bushels of U.S. corn
7exported in some form and as much as one in two bushels of
8soybeans exported in some form; and
 
9    WHEREAS, A large amount of the corn and soybeans grown in
10Illinois is destined for the export markets, making those
11markets a critical factor in the economic success of Illinois
12soybean and corn farmers; and
 
13    WHEREAS, As much as 20 percent of Illinois farmland is
14planted with crops destined to feed Canada, Mexico, and the
15North American market; this farmland is crucial to Illinois
16producers and is aided by the North American Free Trade
17Agreement (NAFTA); and
 
18    WHEREAS, Illinois is the largest exporting state in the
19Midwest and the fifth largest exporting state in the nation;
20and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The North American market is especially crucial to
2corn and soybean exports, with Mexico taking over 534 million
3bushels of US corn worth $2.5 billion and over 195 million
4bushels of US soy, also worth $2.5 billion last marketing year;
5and
 
6    WHEREAS, Canada is the top export market for US ethanol,
7which is corn based; it is the third largest export market for
8US soybean meal, and it is the fourth market for US pork, which
9consumes 25 percent of US corn and soybean meal; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Mexico is a top destination for
11Illinois-produced, dried distillers' grains, a high-value
12livestock feed and co-product of Illinois ethanol production;
13and
 
14    WHEREAS, The US exports of agricultural products, and many
15Illinois agricultural products, are greatly aided by the North
16American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); and
 
17    WHEREAS, Mexico and Canada represent more than a third of
18US pork exports and the loss of NAFTA would amount to a loss of
19five percent of US pork production; and
 
20    WHEREAS, The Trump Administration is currently in
21negotiations to redraft NAFTA and make changes to the

 

 

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1agreement; therefore be it;
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE ILLINOIS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge
4our Congressional delegation to work to ensure that any
5modifications made to NAFTA do not endanger or harm the strong
6export market that Illinois enjoys with our neighbors to the
7North and South; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be provided to
9members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.