Farmers for Free Trade released the following statement on May 20 on the elimination of steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Farmers for Free Trade has been traveling the country to talk with farmers and local leaders in an effort to support passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
“Removing the tariffs on steel and aluminum with America’s closest agriculture trading partners is an important step toward returning certainty to our farmers. Importantly, eliminating the tariffs removes a roadblock to passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which modernizes and bolsters NAFTA. With these tariffs removed Congress should not delay consideration of USMCA any longer.
“Farmers for Free Trade has spent much of the last month crossing the Midwest talking to farmers about their reliance on sustainable relationships and contracts with Mexico and Canada. We are now set to travel through the South and West. What’s clear beyond Washington, D.C. is that farmers need stability now more now than ever. USMCA delivers the guarantee that relationships and markets our farmers have built over decades will still be there for decades to come.
“We can’t let partisan squabbling threaten USMCA passage. With nearly $40 billion in American ag exports on the line we should not let elections or politics as usual in Washington D.C. win the day. Farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses are all watching this debate closely. It’s time to deliver the certainty they need.”
