Congress needs to get to work and ratify the revamped NAFTA, or USMCA as soon as possible. South Dakota Farm Bureau President Scott VanderWal says that’s despite recent comments by President Trump about possibly withdrawing from the deal. He says those were political in nature and likely made to put pressure on Congress to ratify the pact.

He says the USMCA is a large improvement over the North American Free Trade Agreement, especially for agriculture.

VanderWal says many technological changes have happened since the original NAFTA was signed and that’s been addressed in the new USMCA. He says it would also help if the steel and aluminum tariffs were lifted.

VanderWal says it’s also positive that the USDA has planned trade missions next year to both Canada and Mexico. That’s an opportunity to help solidify the USMCA once it’s ratified.