Minnesota Senator Tina Smith has joined a bipartisan group of Senators asking trade officials to negotiate a side agreement in the USMCA trade deal. It calls for fewer restrictions on U.S. grain exports to Canada. National Association of Wheat Grower’s CEO Chandler Goule applauds the Senators for their letter and would like to see the varietal registration issue corrected.

He says if those restrictions remain in place it will hurt northern tier U.S. wheat growers.

Goule says it is possible to include side agreements in trade pacts and this wouldn’t be the first time that’s been achieved.

Among those joining Smith in the letter to Chief Ag Trade Negotiator Gregg Doud are North Dakota’s Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer as well as Montana Senator Steve Daines.