Agriculture coalition highlights export growth, rural jobs and dairy reform needs as 2026 renewal decision nears.
A broad coalition of roughly 40 U.S. agriculture organizations representing farmers, ranchers, processors and food producers has launched a coordinated campaign supporting the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (USMCA/CUSMA). The initiative combines advertising, research and lobbying to underscore the trade pact’s economic value for rural America, while urging policymakers and former President Donald Trump to weigh agricultural benefits before considering withdrawal or major changes.
The campaign emerges amid significant uncertainty over the agreement’s future ahead of the July 1, 2026 renewal deadline, when the three countries must choose to renew, renegotiate or allow the pact to lapse. Although the agreement shields many Canadian and Mexican exports from tariffs imposed during Trump’s current term, administration officials have floated options ranging from renegotiation to full withdrawal, echoing pressure tactics used during the original 2018 negotiations.
Coalition leaders argue the trade framework has delivered measurable gains for U.S. agriculture. Canada and Mexico account for about one-third of total U.S. agricultural export value, and related agricultural and seafood trade generated $149 billion in domestic economic activity in 2024, including $36 billion in wages. Since USMCA took effect in 2020, export value to the two neighboring markets has risen 47%, sharply outpacing the 18% growth recorded in exports to the rest of the world.
Industry representatives emphasize that these benefits extend beyond farms to local retailers, financial institutions and rural communities, reinforcing investment and competitiveness across the agricultural economy. Targeted outreach—including digital advertising aimed at policymakers and messaging on platforms such as Truth Social—seeks to ensure decision-makers fully recognize the agreement’s role in sustaining family farms, small businesses and regional employment.
Despite strong overall support for maintaining the pact’s framework, some sectors—particularly U.S. dairy—are advocating targeted improvements during the review process to better realize the agreement’s intended potential. The pro-USMCA push follows earlier Washington hearings where multiple U.S. industries similarly called for preserving the trade deal, highlighting its strategic importance to North American agricultural trade and rural economic stability.
Source: CBC News — https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-trade-tariffs-cusma-usmca-agriculture-9.7083629
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