Ag Industry, Rural Lawmakers Praise Democratic USMCA Movement

On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced her plan to vote next week on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free-trade agreement. That announcement was met with praise and optimism by ag industry groups and rural lawmakers alike. The passage of USMCA would be a significant boost to America’s dairy farmers, according to Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. “USMCA will expand trade opportunities with our most valuable partners and secure immediate benefits for our rural communities, adding an estimated $548 million to dairy-farm revenues in its first six years after implementation,” Mulhern said in a statement. “Newly announced improvements to USMCA will also ensure that if our trading partners flout their dairy obligations under the trade deal, the U.S. has the tools it needs to vigorously enforce our rights. An already good deal for U.S. dairy farmers is even better now, thanks to these changes.” Dairy farmers are counting on Congress to pass USMCA quickly, said Tom Vilsack, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, in a statement. “Finalizing USMCA will bolster international confidence in the U.S. as a serious negotiating partner and build momentum for other trade agreements in key markets abroad,” he said in a statement. “Without this crucial trade agreement, Made-in-America dairy and agriculture products could be left behind in the new year.” Brody Stapel, president of Edge and a dairy farmer in eastern Wisconsin said farmers are grateful for progress on the deal. “Our farmers have been waiting in uncertainty for more than a year for USMCA to get done,” he said. “So, it’s certainly good news to see the deal take this significant step forward. There are more steps to be taken, however, so we are not breathing a full sigh of relief.” According to Kevin Ross, an Iowa farmer and president of the National Corn Growers Association, passage of USMCA would be a bright spot in a brutal year. “NCGA’s top legislative priority in 2019 has been passing USMCA. Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to ratifying this important agreement and securing the future of our trading relationship with Mexico and Canada, the top export market for U.S. corn farmers,” he said. “It’s been a brutal year for many farmers who really need the certainty this would provide for agricultural trade.”...MORE