Chairman Peterson Celebrates Announcement Clearing Path for USMCA

WASHINGTON- House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson released the following statement today following the announcement of a deal between House Democrats and The White House on United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

“I have been pushing for months to get this deal to the finish line, and this announcement is great news for farmers, businesses and workers in Western Minnesota and nationwide,” said Peterson. “The threat of leaving NAFTA without a deal would have been devastating, and this deal provides needed certainty for our producers. This agreement makes updates to how the three countries will address biotechnology, and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues. The USMCA also preserves the market our farmers are currently accessing while making modest gains for our dairy, poultry, and wheat growers in the Canadian market. Rural America has faced many hurdles and challenges with these trade wars, and passing the USMCA is a step in the right direction.”

Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “Businesses of all shapes and sizes need sound, commonsense policy in place in order to get off the ground, grow, and succeed. On behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce I thank Congressman Peterson for his leadership and strong support for USMCA and other pro-business policies. The Chamber appreciates the Congressman’s commonsense approach to legislation and policies that strengthen U.S. manufacturing and create a level playing field for American businesses.”

Kevin Paap, President of the Minnesota Farm Bureau, “We appreciate Chairman Peterson’s leadership on USMCA. We urge members of Congress to swiftly approve the USMCA agreement so that it can be ratified. Our farmers cannot wait any longer. This will bring much needed hope to farmers and rural America. These actions will signal to our trading partners that the U.S. is back in business in the international marketplace.”

Gary Wertish, President of the Minnesota Farmers Union, “Minnesota Farmers Union thanks Congressman Peterson for his hard work negotiating a better deal for family farmers. While the deal isn’t likely to drastically change the outlook for them, it is a positive step forward and is much improved from the original deal the Trump administration proposed.”

Les Anderson, President of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, “The news that the White House and Congress are moving toward passing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is a very positive step for Minnesota’s corn growers “Mexico and Canada represent the largest export market for American corn farmers today, which is the result of open trade between our borders. We are pleased to hear USMCA will continue this momentum in the years ahead. Thank you to Chairman Peterson, other members of Congress and the Administration for prioritizing reaching an agreement, which brings us closer to ratification and much-needed certainty for corn farmers in Minnesota and beyond.”

The National Turkey Federation issued this statement, “The USMCA is a win for the U.S. turkey industry, and with today’s announced agreement we’re one step closer to ratification. It’s taken a great deal of hard work to reach consensus on the USMCA, and we thank President Trump, Ambassador Lighthizer, Secretary Perdue, Speaker Pelosi and congressional leaders in both parties who have gotten us to this point. Now, it’s time for Congress to come together and vote in support of the USMCA, which reinforces our country’s relationship with two critical foreign markets for U.S. turkey products. The best gift Congress can give America’s turkey farmers and processors going into the new year is greater certainty that these important trade relationships with Mexico and Canada will be preserved.”

Paul Kvistad, president of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, “As the largest turkey producing state in the nation, we need access to North American markets for our products. The USMCA preserves the turkey industry’s trade relationship with Mexico – the industry’s largest export partner – and creates new opportunities for trade with Canada. We thank Chairman Peterson for his continued support of Minnesota’s turkey industry and the USMCA.”