Mississippi River mayors: Paris pullout hurts U.S. ag exports

NEW ORLEANS — Mayors along the Mississippi River say President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of a worldwide climate agreement could severely damage U.S. agricultural exports.

The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative said in a news release Friday nations remaining in the Paris agreement will impose carbon pricing through taxes or trading systems, without any say from the United States.

The group said the 10-state corridor moves $164.6 billion a year in agricultural products, including 55 percent to 70 percent of all exported corn, soy and wheat. It said the U.S. has a trade surplus in those commodities.

Chris Coleman, the mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, said, “The Mississippi River Basin allows our nation to lead the global commodities market. Now, we have ceded that status to other nations.”