AUSTIN- As president of Southern U.S. Trade Association (SUSTA), Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today announced he has built a coalition of agriculture leaders across the south to support approval of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) pending before Congress. Despite being signed by President Trump and the leaders of Mexico and Canada, the USMCA now faces a tougher challenge: finding bipartisanship in the halls of Congress. Miller and fellow agriculture leaders are urging approval of the USMCA to open up agriculture opportunities for the entire agriculture industry.

“I am joining a bipartisan effort to tell Congress, the time to act is now. Congress must approve the USMCA as soon as possible,” Commissioner Miller said. “I am confident that when presented with the benefits to our nation and our American farmers and ranchers, members from both sides of the aisle can come together and approve the USMCA.”

 

Commissioner of Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Dr. Jewel Bronaugh fully supports the successful ratification and implementation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) in an effort to better serve the interests of American workers and businesses.  "Virginia maintains a longstanding commitment to work collaboratively with its North American counterparts on agricultural trade and development," Bronaugh said. "The USMCA is vital to further solidifying Virginia’s trade relationships with its North American partners, as Virginia exports approximately $276 million and $113 million in food and agriculture products to Canada and Mexico, respectively."

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson also urged Congress to timely ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).  The USMCA modernizes the trading relationship between the U.S. and two of our most important trading partners. “The USMCA will benefit agriculture by providing trade certainty and enhancing market access for Mississippi farmers,” said Commissioner Gipson. Mexico and Canada account for 25 percent of Mississippi’s agricultural exports.

Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, D.V.M., praised the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which modernizes the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). “I’m pleased that Canada and Mexico have taken this important step in the right direction toward fair trade and increased market access for American farmers and ranchers,” Strain said. “The deal includes key provisions increasing markets for U.S. rice, wheat, dairy, poultry, eggs and many other agricultural products.” Currently, 27 percent of all U.S. exports go to Canada and Mexico. “I’m hopeful the USMCA deal will fuel a renewed effort to improve trade tensions with China, a major agricultural market for Louisiana behind Canada and Mexico. “I urge the U.S. Congress to ratify the USMCA, eliminating tariffs on more than 200 American products and providing a new and improved avenue for trade and economic growth,” Strain added. Strain was recently in Washington D.C. at a National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) meeting in which the nation’s agriculture leaders develop and advocate public policy and programs that promote the agricultural industry.

 

Director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture Mark Killian urges the successful ratification and implementation of the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement in an effort to provide certainty for farmers and ranchers' businesses.  “The USMCA is vital to further solidifying Arizona's trade relationships with Canada and Mexico,” Killian said. “Agriculture brings in $ 23 billion annually to the State of Arizona."