Washington, D.C. (Rural Roots Canada) – Dozens of U.S. food and agricultural organizations are calling on the U.S. government to renew the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) for another full 16 years, saying the trade deal has played a critical role in supporting farmers, producers, and exporters across the continent.
In a letter submitted to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the 124 groups, representing everyone from grain handlers and seafood harvesters to distillers, agribusinesses, and state agricultural departments, said the CUSMA, called the USMCA in the U.S., has helped fuel record trade growth and kept North America’s food economy strong and competitive.
The letter credits CUSMA for removing trade barriers, keeping tariffs at zero, and improving cooperation between the three countries. It points to specific provisions that have made it easier to move food and farm goods across borders, while increasing transparency. They also emphasized the importance of rules protecting American innovations, such as new seed technologies and food processing methods, from unfair trade restrictions.
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The groups caution against making any major changes to the agreement, warning that even small adjustments could disrupt trade and hurt farm incomes.
“Without the certainty guaranteed under by USMCA, agribusinesses and family farms would face undependable markets and weakened global competitiveness,” the letter said.
Beyond trade, the coalition stressed that an integrated North American food system strengthens food security and helps the continent compete with non-market economies that play by different rules.
“As the United States grapples with confronting new and emerging threats from bad actors, U.S. food and agriculture supply chains are equally vulnerable to economically coercive tactics employed in a retaliatory nature, threatening to upend global demand that farmers depend on to make a living,” the letter states.
“Our organizations are deeply reliant on trade, and our closest neighbors are the strongest trading partners for U.S. agriculture and its continued success,” the groups added. “We stand ready to provide the expertise needed to maintain U.S. leadership within USMCA and advocate for the continued trade certainty that it provides.”
The agreement is scheduled to undergo a review in 2026.
