Livestock producers and farmers from Iowa are urging federal officials to renew a massive trade deal.
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement went into effect in 2020 and includes a mandatory review in July.
Bob Hemesath grows corn and raises hogs in northeast Iowa and moderated this week’s Farmers for Free Trade panel in Des Moines.
“At a time when global competition is intensifying and market access is more critical than ever, the USMCA agreement remains a cornerstone of North American agriculture, trade and just economic impact overall,” Hemesath says. “For Iowa, that impact is tangible.”
Around 40-percent of Iowa’s goods are exported to either Canada or Mexico, according to the Brookings Institute. Corn, soybeans, ethanol and tractors top of the list.
Randy Miller is a farmer in south-central Iowa and board member of the American Soybean Association and U.S. Soybean Export Council. Miller calls the USMCA the “gold standard” for trade and says it keeps important markets open for farmers.
“This all trickles down to our small towns and the small communities that we all live in,” Miller says. “In rural Iowa, we produce these products that are going around the world.”
Trade leaders from Canada and Mexico earlier this week said they’d like to renew the agreement through 2042.
The Iowa farmers are urging U.S. leaders to follow suit. If the U.S. opts out, the trade agreement will sunset in 2036.
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