Canada’s Parliament has ratified the USMCA trade agreement approved earlier by both the United States and Mexican governments. Joe Schuele with the U.S. Meat Export Federation says they didn’t expect Canada’s approval that quickly but are pleased with the end result.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s office is talking about a June 1 implementation date. However, Schuele says as far as the red meat industry is concerned, that precise implementation date isn’t that important.
Schuele says what is important is USMCA provides more trade stability for the U.S. and shows we’re a reliable trading partner with both Canada and Mexico. He says that’s critical due to competition for those markets.
Schuele says last year, U.S. pork exports to Canada were nearly 215,000 metric tons, with an export value of more than $800 million. He says U.S. beef exports to Canada topped $650 million.
