Passing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement remains a priority for farmers across the country. With the end of the year fast approaching, and a very limited number of Congressional workdays remaining, urging your representatives to support this important trade deal is more important than ever.
Waiting until 2020, when election-year politics will likely derail its passage, is not an option, farm groups have said recently. Ratifying USMCA this year is the best chance of securing this agreement.
USMCA preserves and builds upon the corn industry’s successful relationship with Mexico and Canada. For example, the National Corn Growers Association says in 2018, 21.4 million metric tons of corn and corn co-products were exported to Mexico and Canada, valued at $4.56 billion. These exports generated $5.79 billion in economic activity, supported 36,480 jobs and 300,000 farms.
Passage would provide some certainty to farmers facing challenging times and instill confidence in other important trading partners that the United States is open for business.
The House of Representatives is in recess this week, presenting an additional opportunity for farmers to visit with lawmakers, and urge their support of USMCA, while they are home in their Congressional districts. Agriculture is facing challenging times and America’s corn farmers need the certainty of securing this important market.
To help the passage of USMCA, the National Pork Producers Council launched a dynamic new campaign, “It’s Pork O’ Clock Somewhere,” to highlight the importance and benefits of the USMCA. The campaign focuses on pork and the many ways it’s enjoyed across North America.
“Ratification of USMCA is the top priority for U.S. pork producers and there is no better way to highlight its importance than a campaign that illustrates how pork is enjoyed across United States, Canada and Mexico,” said David Herring, NPPC president and a pork producer in Lillington, N.C. “A USMCA agreement provides much-needed market certainty for U.S. pork producers, ensuring zero-duty market access to two of our largest export markets.”
Last year, more than 40 percent of U.S. pork exported went to Canada and Mexico. The campaign thanks lawmakers for making USMCA ratification this year a priority and highlights the history behind pork-related dishes in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Last year, the United States sent more than 770,000 tons—worth $1.3 billion—of pork to Mexico.
To learn more about NPPC’s campaign, visit www.porkoclock.org.
