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Trade pact gets key backers

Former secretaries of agriculture rally behind USMCA

Canada and Mexico are immensely important markets for U.S. farmers. According to data provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the value of U.S. exports of food and agricultural products to these two neighboring nations amounted to $39.7 billion in 2018.The USDA estimates that these crucial foreign sales support more than 325,000 jobs in our country.

Keeping that robust market for agricultural exports thriving requires finalization of the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, known more succinctly as the USMCA. This trade pact was signed on Nov. 30, 2018. It requires approval by the legislative bodies of all three nations. That has happened in Mexico. Canada is also on board. In the U.S., however, Congress has yet to act. That must happen soon so this successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement can take effect.

Iowa’s farm economy needs the USMCA in place. It will be harder for our state to prosper if this trade arrangement is not approved.

With that in mind, Iowa’s two United States senators – Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst – are both enthusiastic backers of the USMCA. The two Republicans have worked hard to build a bipartisan coalition to ensure its ratification by Congress.

“Passing the USMCA is critical to provide farmers and ranchers with the certainty they need to make long-term business decisions,” Grassley said earlier this month. “Modernizing and improving our trade relationship with Canada and Mexico is a bipartisan no-brainer.”

That point was just underlined forcefully by a joint letter backing the USMCA sent to congressional leaders by all the U.S. secretaries of agriculture who have served the nation since the Ronald Reagan administration. The seven former leaders of the USDA include three who were part of Democratic administrations and four who worked for Republican presidents.

“We need a strong and reliable trade deal with our top two customers for U.S. agriculture products. USMCA will provide certainty in the North American market for the U.S. farm sector and rural economy,” the letter said in part. “We strongly support ratification of USMCA.”

Sonny Perdue, the current U.S. secretary of agriculture, issued a statement emphasizing the importance of this letter and, of course, is also a strong USMCA backer.

“Support for USMCA crosses all political parties, specifically when it comes to the agriculture community, and I am proud to stand side by side with former agriculture secretaries who agree USMCA is good news for American farmers,” he said.

The USMCA keeps those provisions of NAFTA that were worthwhile while substantially enhancing and modernizing that pact. The new provisions should make it possible to increase in both Mexico and Canada the already substantial sale of U.S. agricultural products.

The Messenger applauds the bipartisan action by these present and former leaders of the USDA. We urge Congress to heed their advice and approve the USMCA with no further delay.

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