United States Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer has been negotiating with a Congressional working group to assuage concerns and bring the United States ? Mexico ? Canada Agreement (USMCA) to a floor vote in the House of Representatives. The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is reminding lawmakers of the benefits to the red meat industry.
USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom says things are, ?fine under NAFTA.? However, he says we need to get USMCA passed for stability in the beef, pork, and lamb industries. Halstrom says for many years we set records on pork exports to Mexico. Unfortunately, the 20% duty we faced from mid-2018 to mid-2019 put the pork industry in a tough spot.
This uncertainty influenced the beef trade to Mexico as well, even though there was no duty placed on U.S. beef exports to Mexico. Halstrom says many buyers purchase both pork and beef.
Halstrom says USMCA will complement the Japanese trade pact well from a carcass utilization standpoint.
