Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey expressed his appreciation that President Trump would host the Agriculture round table discussion this week, especially because it’s still early in his administration. Northey says he was very encouraged by the discussion that took place. “The president clearly understands the importance of a strong agriculture sector in our nation. It’s great news that Secretary Perdue is in place at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and will be a strong supporter of the effort to aid farmers, ranchers, and rural communities,” he says. Northey says the conversation was especially positive regarding items like reducing the regulatory burden on farmers, infrastructure updates, trade, and immigration. Northey, who was at the roundtable, said it’s clear to him that the president understands the need for a reliable workforce for agriculture and is committed to establishing a workable immigration system to fill that need. “My takeaway on trade is the president understands the importance of trade to agriculture and won’t risk undermining the advancements we’ve made in ag trade as they work with our trading partners to address other concerns,” Northey says.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s activities (all times ET):

1:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump says that withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement would be a “pretty big … shock to the system.”

Trump said Thursday at the White House he’d been planning to terminate NAFTA “as of two or three days from now.” But the president says he was persuaded to reconsider by the leaders of Canada and Mexico.

Trump says if he’s unable to make “a fair deal” for the U.S., he will, indeed, seek to halt participation in NAFTA.

But he says, “We’re going to give renegotiation a good, strong shot,” and says renegotiation begins today.

Trump was speaking before a meeting with Argentine President Mauricio Macri.

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7:10 a.m.

President Donald Trump says the leaders of Canada and Mexico called him asking the United States to remain a partner in the North American Free Trade Agreement and that he agreed.

But in a post Thursday morning on his verified Twitter account, the president said his positive response was “subject to the fact that if we do not reach a fair deal for all, we will then terminate NAFTA.”

He said relationships between the U.S. and Mexico and Canada are “very good — deal very possible.”

The White House had released a statement late Wednesday saying only that Trump assured the two leaders the U.S. wouldn’t bolt NAFTA at this time.

Campaigning for the presidency last year, Trump repeatedly assailed NAFTA, saying it was a bad deal for America. He also pledged that if elected, he would dump it.

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6:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump, still chafing over rulings blocking his travel ban early this year, says he’s considered breaking up the West Coast-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Asked during a White House interview by the Washington Examiner if he’d thought about proposals to break up the court, Trump replied, “Absolutely, I have.” He added that “there are many people that want to break up the 9th Circuit. It’s outrageous.”

The comments echoed his Twitter criticism of the court Wednesday morning.

Trump called U.S. District Judge William Orrick’s preliminary injunction against his order stripping money from sanctuary cities “ridiculous” on Twitter. He said that he planned to take that case to the Supreme Court. But an administration appeal of the district court’s decision would go first to the 9th Circuit.

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The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index remained weak with a reading below growth neutral for the 20th straight month, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and energy. Released last week, the index which ranges between 0 and 100, slipped to 44.6 from 45.3 in March. The last time the overall index was at or above growth neutral was August 2015. The farmland and ranchland-price index for April slumped to a frail 30.7 from March’s 33.0. This is the 41st straight month the index has languished below growth neutral. Meanwhile, the April farm equipment-sales index sank to a very weak 21.5 from 22.0 in February, the 44th consecutive month the reading has fallen below growth neutral. Borrowing by farmers soared for April as the loan-volume index advanced to a record 81.6 from last month’s 58.4. And, the confidence index, which reflects expectations for the economy six months out, slipped to 45.6 from 47.5 in March indicating a continued pessimistic outlook among bankers.

An executive order by President Donald Trump creates a panel to look at agricultural issues. Ray Starling, a special assistant to the president on agriculture, says the executive order will sunset the White House Rural Council started under President Barack Obama in 2011. Trump’s White House will then restart a similar inter-agency rural task force to look at legislative, regulatory, or policy issues that hinder economic growth in agriculture, according to DTN-Progressive Farmer. The executive order, signed during a roundtable discussion with farmers and ranchers Tuesday, comes on the same day Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was sworn in. Starling says the new task force will work to promote agriculture, economic development, job growth, infrastructure improvements, technological innovation, energy security, and quality of life in rural America. The task force will be expected to produce a report within 180 days.

Newly minted Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue rolled up his sleeves Tuesday morning, getting to work at the Department of Agriculture during an address to USDA employees. Following Senate confirmation Monday, the former Georgia Governor was sworn in Tuesday morning by Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, also from Georgia. Perdue preached transparency, ethics and customer service, before heading to the White House to take part in a farmer roundtable and the signing of an executive order related to agriculture. Perdue will now head to the USDA Service Center in Kansas City, Missouri this week, and take part in a town hall Friday at the American Royal Complex hosted by the Agribusiness Council of Kansas City. Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin has also asked the Secretary to visit Wisconsin, where dairy farmers are dealing with what they have called “unfair practices” by Canada.

The European Union and the United States could soon be reviving negotiations of the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross over the weekend told the Financial Times reducing the trans-Atlantic trade deficit in goods is a top priority. The $146 billion trans-Atlantic trade deficit is only second to China’s $347 billion deficit. Ross was hosting the European Union’s trade commissioner Monday to discuss how to proceed with TTIP talks that were launched under the Obama administration. Politics, negotiations and the United Kingdom vote to leave the EU stalled the talks. But the talks will likely remain stalled as Germany has an upcoming election in September, and Ross said the first priority of the U.S. regarding trade is renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Ross expects a NAFTA agreement will be reached by mid-2018.

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s immigration and labor expert is heading to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. AFBF’s director of congressional relations for labor and immigration, Kristi Boswell, will serve as a senior adviser to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Boswell starts next month at USDA and Politico reports she will be working on labor and immigration issues. Boswell is a registered lobbyist and under Trump administration rules, may require a waiver to work on any issues that she previously lobbied on. Boswell grew up on a farm in southeastern Nebraska where her family raised corn and soybeans, according to AFBF. Before joining USDA and AFBF, Boswell practiced corporate defense litigation in Nebraska and worked as a political aide for a Nebraska state senator.

The U.S. Senate Monday evening voted to confirm Sonny Perdue as Agriculture Secretary, just shy of 100 days after his nomination announcement by then President-elect Donald Trump. The Senate voted 87 – 11 to confirm Perdue. The White House said over the weekend Perdue would be sworn in Tuesday and immediately begin work at the Department of Agriculture. Perdue and his family were in the Senate gallery during the vote. The confirmation is a long-awaited win for agriculture and farm groups who are dealing with trade issues with Canada over dairy, disaster relief efforts from plains wildfires, and beginning farm bill talks. National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson told the Capital Press the former Georgia Governor will “have some catching up to do.” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, also from Georgia, said in a recent editorial that the vote to confirm Perdue was “overdue,” adding “there’s important work ahead for the agriculture secretary.”