USMCA Passage Adds Certainty to Uncertain Ag World

These past two years, uncertainty has reigned in the agricultural world for the U.S., writes Eric Sfiligoj at CropLife. Unpredictable weather, prevent plant acres, and the extended U.S.-China trade war all come to mind as examples of uncertainty everyone that makes their living from agriculture have had to deal with since the end of 2018. Now, too, the emergence of the coronavirus is threatening to add an entirely new layer of uncertainty to mix when it comes to economic impact.

However, agriculture finally has some certainty, at least when it comes to selling goods and services to this country’s North American neighbors. Last week, President Donald Trump signed the long-debated U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This legislation guarantees that agricultural goods from America can continue to move into the country’s key trading partners with zero tariffs attached to them. According to government statistics, Canada and Mexico are America’s first and second largest export markets for food and agricultural products. Annually, exports to the two countries total almost $40 billion and help support more than 325,000 American jobs.

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“Today is a good day for American agriculture,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue of the agreement. “USMCA is critical for America’s farmers and ranchers, who will now have even more market access to our neighbors to the north and south.”

Continue reading at CropLife.

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