ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) today emphasized the critical importance of the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) to the North American grain, feed, and oilseed supply chain. It urged the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to pursue a full 16-year renewal of the agreement with no changes to its underlying terms. The comments were delivered during NGFA President and CEO Mike Seyfert’s testimony at USTR’s public hearing on the operation of USMCA.
Seyfert noted the profound economic importance of seamless North American agricultural trade, underscoring that Mexico and Canada remain two of the most vital markets for U.S. corn, soybeans, wheat, and related products: “The economic health of North American agriculture, and the communities we support, depends on an open, predictable, rules-based trading system,” Seyfert testified.
In his testimony, Seyfert outlined several areas that USMCA could be strengthened during the renewal process, including harmonizing grain inspection procedures to eliminate costly, duplicative reinspection requirements in Mexico and advancing long-delayed processes to manage low-level presence of biotechnology traits. He also commended USTR’s dispute settlement action regarding Mexico’s biotech corn restrictions, calling the panel’s decision essential to maintaining science-based trade.
Seyfert stressed that the NGFA looks forward to working closely with USTR, USDA, and industry partners throughout the renewal process to ensure that USMCA continues to deliver broad economic benefits for farmers, grain handlers, feed manufacturers, processors, exporters, and the transportation system that links them.
