Arlington, VA - Dec. 10, 2019 - The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) commended completion of negotiations to finalize the much-needed ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
“We particularly appreciate the dedication and persistence of U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and House leaders to overcome final hurdles on labor enforcement to reach this milestone,” said NGFA President and CEO Randy Gordon.
“We also commend the governments of two of our most important trading partners – Mexico and Canada – in working with the United States to accommodate these concerns.
“We urge the House to expeditiously pass this agreement so it can be ratified by the Senate this year,” Gordon added.
“Doing so will be a tremendous win for the United States and the entire North American region and our interdependent economies.”
The USMCA trade agreement will preserve or expand upon critical market access for U.S. agricultural products in the North American market.
In addition to maintaining a tariff-free environment for most agricultural goods, USMCA also will help address non-tariff barriers, which are paramount among the current global challenges that distort and slow cross-border trade flows.
Among other benefits, USMCA will: Facilitate cross-border trade flows through higher levels of regulatory coherence and cooperation; implement timelines and notifications for adverse import checks; include steps to reduce the likelihood of trade disruptions in products of agricultural biotechnology; use technical consultations for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) disputes; and require that SPS standards be grounded in science and based on proper risk assessments and implemented using accepted risk management techniques.
Supporters of USMCA can contact their lawmakers through NGFA’s advocacy tool on ngfa.org/advocacy.
For more information, please contact Sarah Gonzalez at sgonzalez@ngfa.org