Dec 10, 2019

Arlington, VA – December 10, 2019 - Food Marketing Institute (FMI) released the following comments from Andy Harig, vice president, tax, trade, sustainability & policy development, on the announcement of a path forward for the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Agreement: 

“We are extremely encouraged by today’s announcement that congressional leaders and the Trump administration have reached agreement on several outstanding issues and will now move forward with a vote on the USMCA.

“The USMCA improves NAFTA by modernizing it for the 21st century and securing the gains of the last 25 years for future generations. Areas like biotechnology and ecommerce –which were in their infancy when the original deal was negotiated – are addressed, as are science-based food safety standards that reflect the growth of knowledge in the field.

“This new North American trade agreement maintains and secures the existing supply chain, resulting in continued growth in U.S. food and beverage exports. The USMCA supports U.S. jobs and enables grocers to keep feeding families and enriching the lives of American consumers.

“Progress on the USMCA would not have been possible without the Trump administration and the House Democratic leaderships’ focus and collaboration to create an updated and comprehensive USMCA that works for all parties. We greatly appreciate their efforts, as well as those of Senate leadership and our partners in Canada and Mexico.

“FMI and the food retail and wholesale industry look forward to reviewing the finalized details of the USMCA and working with House and Senate leaders to successfully pass this bipartisan new trade deal, ideally before the end of the year.”