More than 3 dozen farm groups are urging President Trump to fill a key trade position in the administration as trade uncertainties continue to worry the U.S. agricultural sector.

It was announced in April that the America First Policy Institute’s Doug Hoelscher would fill the role of chief agricultural negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative office, but no action has been taken since. An Aug. 1 deadline approaches for Japan and South Korea to reach trade deals with the U.S. or see tariffs climb to 25%.

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and other officials embarked on trade missions this spring and announced deals with the U.K. and Vietnam, although no further details were laid out for the second agreement. Several other countries are reportedly set to receive letters from the administration about negotiating trade agreements.

This week, the USDA was to lead “a high-impact trade mission” to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The delegation was to include 47 agribusinesses, trade organizations and officials from the Colorado, Montana and Wisconsin departments of agriculture. 

The Dominican Republic is the fourth-largest market for U.S. agricultural exports in the Western Hemisphere and the top market within the Central America Free Trade Agreement-Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR) region, which includes Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Rollins announced plans July 1 to travel to Italy, Japan, Vietnam, India, Peru and Brazil over the next 3 months. Other USDA Trade Missions this year include the Taiwan, Côte d’Ivoire and Mexico.

Farm groups said they appreciate the administration’s efforts to secure better market access and resolve tariff and non-tariff barriers hurting U.S. food and agriculture exports, as well as its efforts to address unfair trade practices. 

But the USTR ag negotiator, “is critical to prioritize the needs of American agriculture amidst the ongoing reciprocal trade negotiations,” said the farm groups, which included the National Corn Growers Assn., American Farm Bureau Federation, American Seed Trade Assn., American Soybean Assn., Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers, U.S. Dairy Export Council, The Fertilizer Institute, National Association of Wheat Growers and National Cotton Council.

The organizations want a chief negotiator appointed to, “ensure that meaningful progress is made. Farmers and ranchers are facing challenging economic conditions with low prices, high input costs, increased global competition, and languishing markets. 

“As you know, U.S. farmers and ranchers heavily rely on exports to be successful, and the momentum generated by the ongoing reciprocal trade negotiations is promising. A Chief Agricultural Negotiator will optimize the (U.S.’) position to prevent missing time-sensitive opportunities to reduce trade barriers, open new markets, and eradicate unfair trade practices.”