Following the signing ceremony of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) last week in Argentina during the G-20 Summit, the American Feed Industry Association is encouraging Congress to approve the trade agreement for the betterment of the U.S. animal food industry.
The U.S. animal food manufacturing industry depends on the free-trade access it enjoys with Canada and Mexico, which has allowed exports of feed ingredients, feed and pet food to more than triple since the North American Free Trade Agreement’s (NAFTA) implementation.
Since 1993, exports of these products have grown from roughly $669 million to over $3.1 billion today. The USMCA will build on the success of the former NAFTA by facilitating greater market access, regulatory transparency and accountability among the three trading partners.
“It is now in Congress’ hands to pass the USMCA,\" stated Joel G. Newman, AFIA’s President and CEO. "I encourage our country’s leaders to demonstrate to the world that the U.S. has entered a new era of trade agreements - one that is built on groundbreaking provisions, which increase transparency between the United States and its trading partners while rewarding science and innovation that continues to help today’s industries meet the needs of tomorrow’s consumers.”