California Farm Bureau welcomes agreement
The newly revised North American Free Trade Agreement, renamed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, promises to ease export of California-grown farm products, according to the California Farm Bureau Federation.
“The newly announced U.S.-Canada agreement, in combination with the earlier agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, strengthens relations with two key trading partners,” CFBF President Jamie Johansson said, “and we urge Congress to ratify the USMCA without delay.”
Johansson said the agreement will provide California farmers and ranchers with “much-needed certainty” in key export markets.
“We applaud the three governments for working to modernize the agricultural chapters in the agreement,” he said. “It’s a welcome development at a time when farmers have faced obstacles in selling their products to foreign customers.”
Canada represents the second-largest market for California agricultural exports, with sales of more than $3.3 billion in 2016 – the most recent year for which full statistics are available. Mexico is the No. 5 foreign market for California farm products, with sales of just more than $1 billion in 2016.
“Agricultural exports support thousands of jobs in California, both in rural areas where crops and commodities are grown and packed, and in urban centers from which products are marketed and shipped,” Johansson said. “We hope the agreements with Mexico and now with Canada lead to further easing of trade restrictions.”
The new agreements leave in effect Canadian and Mexican retaliatory tariffs on farm goods imposed after the U.S. placed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Johansson urged U.S. negotiators to reach agreements on those issues as soon as possible.
“We’ve seen California farmers, ranchers and agricultural marketers lose sales because of the retaliatory tariffs from Canada, Mexico and in particular from China,” he said. “Until those tariffs come off, farmers won’t see the full benefit of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement.”
The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 40,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of more than 5.5 million Farm Bureau members.
Produce Coalition for NAFTA applauds U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement
“On behalf of the Produce Coalition for NAFTA, we strongly commend the Trump Administration and the Trudeau Administration for reaching a significant agreement which will bring Canada into the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). We sincerely appreciate the hard work of Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo in helping to ensure that this agreement was reached. This modernized trilateral trade agreement will enhance U.S. agricultural exports and build on the success of the NAFTA agreement that was put in place in 1994.
We commend U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer and Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland for reaching an agreement which re-affirms and builds on the commitment to open trade in agricultural products, including fresh produce. The USMCA is a significant victory not only for agriculture but for the U.S. economy and U.S. consumers. We look forward to working with House and Senate Members to ensure ratification of this significant new trade agreement.”
The Produce Coalition for NATFA is made up of leading U.S. and Canadian fruit and vegetable companies that support efforts to modernize NAFTA, while maintaining duty-free access for produce among the NAFTA countries. The Produce Coalition for NAFTA believes important issues like border procedures, harmonization of regulations and the protection of intellectual property offer opportunities for real improvements in free trade.
To learn more about the Produce Coalition for NAFTA, visit http://producecoalitionfornafta.com/.
PMA pleased to see agreement
Richard Owen, the vice president of Global Membership & Engagement of the Produce Marketing Association, issued the following statement regarding the conclusion of negotiations between the United States, Canada and Mexico to update the free trade agreement among the three countries:
“The members of the Produce Marketing Association are pleased that negotiators have concluded discussions on an updated United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on trade. A single agreement is the best way to address the extensive relationships and investments in produce and floral production and sales that have developed in North America. This agreement is consistent with our overarching goals of free and fair trade and we hope that the new agreement will be quickly ratified by all three countries.
We are encouraged by the certainty that this new agreement provides to companies doing business in North America. The 6-year review and 16-year duration of the agreement gives confidence for future investment to further build and expand trade among the countries as our members work to supply consumers’ expectations of a vast range of fresh produce and floral products year-round. Some of our members sought provisions on seasonal products not included in the final agreement, and we appreciate commitments from negotiators to continue to examine opportunities to address their concerns.”
PMA is a trade association representing companies from every segment of the global produce and floral supply chain. PMA helps members grow by providing connections that expand business opportunities and increase sales and consumption. For more information, visit www.pma.com.
Canada group shows support
“The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) is pleased that a new trilateral free trade agreement has been reached between Canada, Mexico and the United States. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will ensure that the supply chains of the fresh produce industry remain integrated benefiting both Canadian producers and consumers.
“CPMA has been active over the past 13 months to promote the ongoing free trading environment for our industry within North America,” said Les Mallard, CPMA chair. “We are greatly appreciative of the hard work by Canadian negotiators to finalize the deal in a way that is not harmful to our sector.”
CPMA will be reviewing the details of the agreement, particularly those chapters related to sanitary and phytosanitary issues, dispute resolution, trade remedies, good regulatory practices, and competitiveness.
“CPMA looks forward to continued collaboration with Ministers Freeland and MacAulay on other key areas of trade which are focused on diversification and growth within the fresh produce industry,” said Ron Lemaire, CPMA president.
Seed group applauds agreement
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) applauds the news of a new trade agreement between the U.S. and its two largest export markets: Mexico and Canada.
“This trilateral deal is a win for the U.S. seed industry,” said ASTA President and CEO Andrew LaVigne. “We thank the administration for its efforts in reaching a strong agreement that fosters innovation and ensures robust science-based standards for the continued movement of seed with two of our most important trading partners.”
While ASTA is still reviewing the full details of the agreement, the association is pleased to see the language includes its core priorities for trade. Most notably, the agreement provides stronger support for agricultural biotechnology and the trait approval process; recognizes the importance of evolving plant breeding methods like gene editing; strengthens science-based sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations; and provides strong intellectual property protections, including adoption of UPOV 91 requirements.
The U.S. is the largest market for seed in the world and is also the largest seed exporter. Seed varieties can cross six international borders before they are commercialized. This movement is critical to bring the highest quality seed to producers. Without seed exports, U.S. companies would lose $1.7 billion in sales annually. Mexico and Canada are our two largest export markets and vital trading partners. Of the $1.7 billion in U.S. exports, these trading countries account for $600 million in annual exports and make up 57-percent of U.S. corn-seed export sales.”