The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement has passed through the U.S. House of Representatives with an overwhelming vote of 385-41. Now, the Senate will be able to vote on the agreement early next year. While this is seen as a huge win by most farm groups, not everyone is pleased.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said, “Farm Bureau commends the House for approving the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. This trade agreement could not come at a more critical time for U.S. agriculture. Farmers and ranchers have been hit with a perfect storm of low commodity prices, weather disasters, trade disruptions, and a severe downturn in the farm economy. The USMCA will provide continuity in the growth of the North American market and will strengthen our trading relationships with Canada and Mexico, which are our number-one and number-two export markets, respectively.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said, “I am pleased the House finally brought this agreement to a vote and encourage quick passage in the Senate. President Trump delivered on his promise to replace NAFTA and USMCA is a huge success for America’s farmers and ranchers. This agreement will unleash the bounty of America’s agricultural harvest to two of our largest trading partners in the world and it is critical to the success of rural America.”
Robert McKnight, Jr., president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association said, “We applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for quickly passing USMCA. The broad, bipartisan support underscores just how important ratification of the agreement is, especially for American ranchers who will send billions of dollars of U.S. beef to Mexico and Canada thanks to the continuation of duty-free trade with our neighbors.”
However, not everyone was pleased. Following the House of Representatives passage of the USMCA on Thursday, Leo McDonnell, Director Emeritus, United States Cattlemen’s Association sent a letter to the President of the United States, agriculture committee leaders in both congressional chambers, and the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade expressing disappointment at the exclusion of a country of origin labeling provision in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement.
