United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced an agreement this week on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), aka NAFTA 2.0.
“We are pleased to see a bipartisan agreement on USMCA, which is a vital step toward restoring stability to our markets,” says MSGA President Jamie Beyer, who visited the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. in July 2019. “Trade with Canada and Mexico is incredibly important to soybean producers. Now, we look forward to Congress and the Trump administration finish the job by ratifying this trade agreement.”
Minnesota Democrats and Republicans alike applauded the news of an agreement.
“I have been pushing for months to get this deal to the finish line, and this announcement is great news for farmers, businesses and workers, in western Minnesota and nationwide,” says Rep. Collin Peterson, chair of the House Ag Committee. “This agreement makes updates to how the three countries will address biotechnology, and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues. The USMCA also preserves the market our farmers are currently accessing while making modest gains for our dairy, poultry, and wheat growers in the Canadian market. Rural America has faced many hurdles and challenges with these trade wars, and passing the USMCA is a step in the right direction.”
Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who also serves on the House Ag Committee and represents southern Minnesota’s First Congressional District, was also vocal in urging Congress to support USMCA. During campaign events throughout 2019, the congressman would pose with constituents holding a sign that read “#USMCAnow!”
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