WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) commended the announcement of a new 120,000-ton U.S. rice tender with Iraq, the first in nearly two years.
In March, Congressman Higgins and Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR) led a bipartisan letter to U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Matthew Tueller, urging him to work with Iraq’s Minister of Trade to announce and execute a U.S.-specific rice tender under the terms of the U.S.-Iraq Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Read that letter here.
Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:
“Iraq has been a top market for U.S. rice in the past, and we’re glad to see our trade partnership continue. This new tender is a major win for Louisiana’s rice industry and businesses up and down the supply chain. Much of those 120,000 tons will be sourced from Louisiana farmers and shipped through the Port of Lake Charles. This is great news and will provide a much-needed economic boost for South Louisiana.”