Rep. Salinas Leads House Agriculture Committee Colleagues in Letter to Trump Administration Requesting Briefing Ahead of USMCA Joint Review

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) led seven of her colleagues in a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to request a briefing for the House Agriculture Committee ahead of the joint review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The letter notes that during the USMCA Joint Review the United States, Mexico, and Canada will evaluate their current trade deal and deliberate its renewal, recission, or review. The letter stressed that USMCA has played a vital role in reducing trade barriers, supporting millions of American jobs, and sustaining farm income. A dedicated briefing would help ensure Congress is fully informed and positioned to chart the best path forward for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities during the Joint Review process.

Click hereor see below for the full letter:

Dear Ambassador Greer:

We respectfully request a briefing from you and your team for the House Agriculture Committee given the importance of agricultural trade to the United States economy.

The upcoming United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Joint Review represents a critical point in time for Congress, the Administration, Canada, and Mexico to decide to renew, rescind, or review the USMCA trade deal that entered into force over five years ago. It is critical that this process be transparent and informative so that Congress can accurately assess the best path forward for the American people as it pertains to the USMCA trade deal.

We recognize and thank you for speaking with the House Ways & Means and Committee and the Senate Finance Committee about the Trump Administration's focus and goals for the USMCA review process. As you stated in your remarks to the Committees of Jurisdiction, the USMCA Implementation Act requires you to report to Congress at the outset of the USMCA Joint Review process. Given the significant impact of trade negotiations on America's agricultural economy, we would be grateful for the opportunity to hear directly from you.

The United States is the world's largest agricultural exporter, with total agricultural exports valued at $176 billion in 2024. Over a third of these exports were destined for Mexico and Canada which totaled nearly $59 billion dollars in 2024. The reduction in trade barriers associated with USMCA has supported the increase in agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico, which have quadrupled over the last 25 years. These U.S. agricultural exports support output, employment, income, and purchasing power in both farm and nonfarm sectors. Every $1 billion of U.S. agricultural exports in 2023 supported approximately 5,997 U.S. jobs throughout the economy. With agricultural output in the U.S. growing faster than domestic demand for products, U.S. farmers and agricultural firms have looked toward export markets to help sustain prices and revenues.

Due to this demonstrated significance of agricultural trade to the U.S. economy, this briefing for the House Agriculture Committee would be crucial for providing greater insight and transparency so that Congress can pave the best way forward during the USMCA Joint Review process.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to the possibility of a briefing from you and your team.

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