Urge Congress to Swiftly Ratify USMCA

Passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement “is an opportunity for Congress not only to help U.S. farmers and ranchers turn the corner on trade, but also show that Washington can still get things done on a bipartisan basis,” according to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall.

“Ratification of the USMCA would build on the momentum of the U.S.-Japan agreement, which gave a major boost to American agricultural products in our fourth-largest market, and send a signal that the U.S. is back in business in the international marketplace,” Duvall continued.

House Democrats and the White House on Dec. 10 announced they had come to an agreement on enforcement-related provisions that had been holding up Democratic support needed for passage of the USMCA implementing legislation, which the Trump administration is expected to soon send to Capitol Hill.

Once the implementation legislation is sent to the Hill, lawmakers have 60 legislative days to approve it. While the House is expected to vote before Congress adjourns for the year on Dec. 20, Senate leaders said their chamber will take up the implementation legislation in the new year.

Farm Bureau is encouraging farmers and ranchers to urge their lawmakers to move USMCA along as quickly as possible.