Feb 6, 2026Specialty crop groups join coalition to preserve USMCA, strengthen ag trade
Forty farm and agricultural groups — including USApple, the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), the Northwest Horticulture Council, the FreshProduce Association of the Americas and USAPulses — recently launched the Agricultural Coalition for the United-States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
The coalition was formed to highlight the trade accord’s vital role as an economic engine for the U.S. farm economy and advocate for its renewal with targeted improvements.
As part of the launch, the group unveiled a new website and kicked off an ad campaign in Washington DC.
“USMCA has significantly propelled the ag economy,” said Bryan Goodman, group spokesperson, in a coalition press release. “We are not saying it’s perfect, as some changes are warranted, but we are saying it is of paramount importance to farmers that all three countries renew the agreement.”
USMCA was signed by the U.S., Mexico and Canada in 2018 during President Trump’s first term and was implemented in 2020 to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
The group says the agreement has significantly increased U.S. agriculture exports to Canada and Mexico, provided more certainty between the three nations and created a mechanism for resolving trade disputes.
Under the agreement, leaders of the three nations must begin a formal review by July 2026 to determine whether to renew. If renewed, the agreement would remain in effect for an additional 16 years, with another review scheduled in 2032. If the countries fail to reach an agreement and move to terminate, USMCA will expire in 2036. The review could also enter a period of annual consultations with no clear path forward, creating significant uncertainty for the farm economy.
“Our farmers make decisions a year or more in advance,” Goodman said. “They need the certainty of knowing USMCA is here to stay.”
The group also published the infographic below, “highlighting how USMCA shapes North American trade, economic certainty, and integrated supply chains
