WASHINGTON — Yesterday, President Trump, in the best interest of U.S. manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, workers, service suppliers, and businesses of all sizes, chose not to rubber stamp a USMCA renewal without addressing existing issues. The USMCA remains in effect while the United States seeks to address the Agreement’s shortcomings and our trade deficit with Canada and Mexico.
Here are the top headlines:
- Fox News: Jamieson Greer defends Trump trade maneuver to secure 'better terms' for US
- Inside U.S. Trade: Some lawmakers from both parties back decision to hold on USMCA renewal
- Bloomberg: US Decides Against Renewing USMCA, Shifting to Rolling Talks
- CNBC: U.S. won’t renew USMCA, opening door for negotiations with Canada and Mexico
- Axios: White House won't extend U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement
- The Hill: Trump declines to renew major trade deal with Canada, Mexico
The announcement quickly drew praise from American farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, businesses, and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle:
National Milk Producers Federation and U.S. Dairy Export Council Executive Vice President Shawna Morris: As the United States, Mexico, and Canada launch the first Joint Review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), we commend the ongoing efforts to resolve outstanding issues and work toward a renewal of this vital agreement. Getting USMCA right matters enormously to our industry, which ships more than 40 percent of all U.S. dairy exports by value to Mexico and Canada… We strongly support the U.S. government’s efforts to address these challenges and urge focused, intensive work by our trading partners to resolve them. A stronger, durable, renewed USMCA is key to the long-term prosperity of dairy producers and exporters across North America.
Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund CEO Bill Bullard: Pursuing separate trade agreements with Canada and Mexico presents an opportunity to correct the serious deficiencies in the NAFTA and USMCA, which have contributed greatly to the chronic contraction of the U.S. cattle industry. Now is our opportunity to begin managing the trade with these two countries that has been displacing our domestic production opportunities. We are encouraged that the administration is moving in that direction.
Consumer Brands Association President and CEO Melissa Hockstad: Under the review process, the Trump administration has a unique opportunity to elevate an ambitious approach with Mexico and Canada at the table. As the Trump administration continues its trade negotiations, we are confident the president and USTR will build on USMCA’s success with an America First position that strengthens North American competitiveness and supports U.S. manufacturing.
Senator Pete Ricketts: Mexico and Canada are Nebraska’s first and second largest export markets, respectively. Over the past three decades, Nebraska’s farmers, ranchers, and businesses built lasting relationships with both countries. These trade relationships should be maintained. The current USMCA has issues that must be resolved. The Trump Administration is right to work to negotiate the best deal possible for the American people. I will continue to work with the Administration to reach final deals with both Canada and Mexico that provide market stability and expanded market access for Nebraska farmers, ranchers, and businesses.
Chairman Jason Smith: The Trump Administration won important victories for American workers and businesses with the original negotiation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, but has correctly determined that simply rubber stamping the status quo is not in the best interest of the United States. Mexico and Canada have in several cases not lived up to their existing commitments under the USMCA – whether it is Mexico’s wide range of policies that discriminate against U.S. investors in energy and other sectors or the fact that Canada continues to discriminate against American dairy farmers.
Representative Adrian Smith: Since its creation, USMCA has been the gold standard for modern trade agreements, delivering meaningful benefits to the United States and our North American partners. But any agreement is only as strong as its enforcement. Unfortunately, over the past six years, our trading partners have repeatedly failed to fully uphold their commitments. With that in mind, @POTUS' decision not to renew is not a termination—it is an opportunity to strengthen enforcement, so the agreement functions as intended. I look forward to continuing my work with @USTradeRep to secure the strongest possible deal, level the playing field, and reinforce supply chains for America’s agriculture producers and manufacturers.
Representative Claudia Tenney: Thank you @USTradeRep for standing up for American workers, small businesses, manufacturers, and farmers. I wholly support USMCA but we cannot blindly renew this deal without fixing key issues like Canada’s treatment of our wineries, dairy farmers, and our fruit and vegetable producers. I look forward to continuing to work with our Canadian and Mexican colleagues to resolve these issues and renew the agreement.
Representative Dan Newhouse: The USMCA has been an economic boost to Central Washington, the United States, and our allies. With that said, an agreement is only good if our trading partners live up to their commitments, and unfortunately, over the past six years, they have failed to do so. @POTUS' decision not to renew it is an opportunity to strengthen enforcement—not a termination of it. The USMCA remains in effect, and I look forward to working with @USTradeRep to address existing issues to best benefit our farmers and ranchers.
Representative Rosa DeLauro: I led 105 Democratic members of Congress in urging renegotiation of USMCA because it is failing American workers. Multinational corporations have continued to use the threat of offshoring as leverage against workers, the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico and Canada has significantly increased, and surging USMCA imports have undermined American workers and farmers and firms in the auto sector, steel, aerospace, and more. As the American people struggle with the cost of living crisis, we need to be bringing jobs and wages back home, not sending them abroad.
Representative Chris Deluzio: The USMCA had a bunch of loopholes that grew manufacturing jobs in Mexico as we lost them—and allowed China to exploit those loopholes to undermine American jobs and industries. Both NAFTA and USMCA screwed over factory towns for decades. Whatever comes next must be better and secure major pro-worker reforms.
Representative Linda Sanchez: Trade, supply chains and industries evolve, and our trade agreements should evolve with them. Today’s summit is a good sign that all three countries are ready to review and hopefully strengthen the agreement.
###
