The first round of talks for the modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement closed in August, with more negotiations right around the corner.
Negotiators from Canada, Mexico and the United States will sit down in Mexico City over Labor Day weekend for a second round of the NAFTA negotiations. They will then head to Canada two and a half weeks later for Round 3. The Mexico City round, slated for Sept. 1 to Sept. 5, will come less than two weeks after the opening round wrapped up in Washington. The Canadian round is anticipated to take place Sept. 23 to Sept. 27, although the city has not yet been set.
Implemented in 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement has removed barriers to agricultural trade between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Since then, agricultural exports from the U.S. to Canada and Mexico increased from $8.9 billion in 1993 to $38.1 billion in 2016.
The American Farm Bureau priorities for the NAFTA modernization effort include:
- Updated, science-based sanitary and phytosanitary rules;
- Improved dispute settlement procedures for fresh fruits, vegetables and horticultural products;
- Eliminated or reduced Canadian tariff barriers to dairy, poultry eggs and wine, as well as the recently implemented barriers to ultra-filtered milk;
- Addressing the misuse of geographical indicators; and
Developing a consistent, science-based approach to biotechnology.
