Salmonsen: American Ag Needs USMCA

According to a new report from the International Trade Commission, agricultural exports are expected to increase by $2.2 billion under USMCA.  Dave Salmonsen, senior director of congressional relations at the American Farm Bureau Federation, said changes to trade rules prompted the projected increase.

“In the past, the ITC really never had a way of putting numbers behind rules. But this time they used some new modeling and came out with that number. And we think over time, once this is implemented, this will have those beneficial effects and be a good addition to what we already have in NAFTA with the new USMCA provisions.”

USMCA changes sanitary and phytosanitary standards, biotech rules and other provisions.  Salmonsen said the projected increase in Ag exports also comes from quota changes.

“Part of the 2.2 billion was $435 million in, we think, new exports to Canada because they granted some more access, they raised the quotas. They wouldn’t get rid of their tariffs on dairy and poultry which is their last remaining control they have over those imports, but they raised access, so we’ve got that.”

Salmonsen noted American Ag needs lawmakers to move forward with USMCA, which keeps and builds upon the benefits of NAFTA.

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