A bipartisan coalition of more than 100 House lawmakers is urging the Trump administration to safeguard the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) as the three countries prepare for a major review of the trade pact next summer.
In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the lawmakers highlighted the significant benefits USMCA has delivered for American farmers and warned against making changes that could disrupt cross-border agricultural trade.
Eight Ohio congressional representatives signed onto this letter, taking an important stand for the state’s corn and small grain producers. thank you to Representatives Balderson, Brown, Carey, Landsman, Latta, Miller, Rulli, and Turner for their leadership on this issue.
The effort was led by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., who chairs the Ways and Means trade subcommittee. Key agriculture voices joined the message, including House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig, D-Minn., and a broad mix of Republican and Democratic lawmakers from major farm states.
The case is straightforward: USMCA has strengthened U.S. agriculture. Since the agreement took effect, U.S. exports to Mexico have grown by $10.7 billion and exports to Canada have expanded by $7.6 billion. Today, roughly one-third of all U.S. agricultural exports go to buyers in those two markets alone, making North America an indispensable customer base for U.S. producers, grain handlers, and exporters.
More than 100 agricultural commodity groups echoed this stance during the public comment period, urging officials to extend the agreement for the full 16-year renewal window and cautioning against upending a system that has worked well for farmers across the continent.
Their message reflects a broader reality in farm country: at a time when economic pressures weigh heavily on family farms, predictable and stable market access is essential. USMCA has provided that certainty, and lawmakers argue its full potential for American agriculture has yet to be realized.
