NCGA Emphasizes USMCA Importance to Corn Growers, Calls for Renewal

The U.S. Trade Representative released a statement today saying officials from the United States, Mexico and Canada met to review the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and that the United States did not agree to renew the agreement in its current form. The agreement will remain in force as negotiations continue.

July 1 is the deadline for all three countries to indicate the path forward on USMCA. If no agreement is reached, officials from all three countries will be required to discuss the agreement each year until it automatically expires in 2036.

In response to this development, Jed Bower, an Ohio farmer and president of the National Corn Growers Association, released the following statement:

"USMCA is the single most important trade agreement to the corn industry, with Mexico serving as the largest purchaser of corn and Canada serving as our largest ethanol market. Additionally, the dispute settlement mechanism in the agreement has been critical for corn growers challenging harmful policies impacting biotechnology access.

"Right now, we need the long-term certainty that USMCA gives us. We encourage the three countries to make progress on the agreement, and work to complete targeted improvements over the coming year."