Comments on Lamb Imports Investigation

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) represents roughly 14,000 farm and ranch families in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Our farmers and ranchers are dedicated to sustaining our rural communities, to the wise stewardship and use of natural resources, to the protection of our safe, secure food supply, and the ongoing economic viability of family-owned operations.

I am writing on behalf of RMFU to respectfully urge you to support the request to the U.S. Trade Representative, Mr. Jamieson Greer, for a formal investigation by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) into lamb imports. We believe the current level of lamb imports into the United States is causing injury to domestic sheep producers and creating unfair market competition. For Western states like Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming, sheep production is closely tied to working rangelands, public lands grazing, and rural economies. As a result of this, unfair import pressure is felt beyond individual producers. Community members such as local processors, feed supplies, and the broader agricultural infrastructure that is integral to rural communities, suffer as well.

We are asking you to consider signing onto the “Dear Colleague” letter supporting the Section 201 trade investigation into imported lamb. The letter is attached to this email for your office’s use. The deadline for requesting action has been extended to January 9th and congressional engagement is crucial. The proposed ITC investigation under Sections 201-202 of the Trade Act of 1974 would allow an objective, data-driven review of whether lamb imports are causing serious injury to domestic sheep producers. A thorough investigation would help ensure trade policies support competitive markets and a resilient domestic sheep industry that has room to grow.

Thank you for your consideration of this issue and for your leadership on behalf of agriculture and rural communities in your region.

Sincerely,

Chad Franke, President of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union

For additional questions and if you wish to discuss any of this further, please contact Emily Paul, RMFU Director of
Federal Government Relations em********@**fu.or