Washington, D.C. - June 11, 2019 - The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and nearly 200 farmer co-ops and cooperatively-owned Farm Credit Associations joined with over 950 agribusinesses and farm groups urging Congress to support a swift ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
“Over the past two and a half decades, America’s ag co-ops and their farmer-owners have seen tremendous benefits from increasing their exports to our two closest trading partners, Canada and Mexico.
"These relationships have provided producers with markets for their products, helped grow rural economies and employed hundreds of thousands of Americans far beyond the farm gate,” said Chuck Conner, president and CEO of NCFC.
“USMCA builds on and updates this success.”
In particular, USMCA would enhance standards for biotechnology, reduce trade distorting policies, modernize sanitary and phytosanitary standards using a science-based approach, improve grading standards, and strengthen protections for commonly-used food names.
“With many farmers across the U.S. facing a challenging growing season so far this year, USMCA will provide an important source of certainty in a climate where that commodity is in short supply,” continued Conner.
“We urge the leadership of the House and Senate to move quickly to bringing up the agreement once it is formally submitted and encourage all members of Congress to support passage of USMCA.”
For more information, please contact Justin Darisse at jdarisse@ncfc.org