US, Canada & Mexican Ag Ministers Commit to Keeping Markets Open

Keeping markets open and transparent for continued growth in agricultural trade between the U.S., Canada and Mexico is a key for the future, according to a statement released after the top agricultural officials from the three countries met in the U.S.The statement. Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay, Mexican Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food Jose Calzada and USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue met June 19-20 in Georgia, the first such meeting between the three officials. Following is the statement issued after the conclusion of the meetings:“Our three nations are connected not only geographically, but through our deeply integrated agricultural markets. Our trading relationship is vital to the economies - and the people - of our respective countries. We are working together to support and create good jobs in all three countries. We share a commitment to keeping our markets open and transparent so that trade can continue to grow. That mutual commitment was reaffirmed in our discussions this week.“The North American Free Trade Agreement has greatly helped our respective agricultural sectors as well as our consumers who have benefitted from an ever-growing variety of safe, affordable food products all year around. While even the best trading partnerships face challenges from time to time, our agricultural differences are relatively few in the context of the $85 billion in agricultural trade that flows between our three nations each year.“Over the years, the United States, Mexico, and Canada have also worked collaboratively to protect plant and animal health, conduct joint research, and share best practices. These efforts have helped to eradicate several pests and diseases from the region, differentiating us from the rest of the world. Our three countries remain committed to continued collaboration to ensure a safe and reliable regional supply chain that makes the North American agriculture sector more competitive.“Our visit to Georgia fostered the mutual understanding and personal relationships that will help North American agriculture thrive, improve our regional partnership and collaboration, and strengthen our trading relationship.”The officials met against a backdrop of negotiations for a NAFTA 2.0 agreement that will start in late August amid discord between the three over dairy trade issues between the U.S. and Canada tensions between the U.S. and Mexico which have prompted Mexico to seek to diversify its sources for agricultural products. The statement, not surprisingly, does not address those friction points which will be among the key issues the NAFTA 2.0 negotiations will address.