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AFBF trade expert: USMCA enters “uncharted territory”

The senior director of government affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation says the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement has moved into uncharted territory.

Virginia Houston tells Brownfield the decision to continue negotiations means there’s now an annual review process, which could repeat for up to 10 years.

“Traditionally, free trade agreements, once they are agreed to, they remain in place for perpetuity unless a country withdraws. The six-year review process that was included when USMCA was renegotiated from NAFTA, it’s a very novel concept. As far as what the formal next steps are is when they have to determine, ok, by July 1 of next year, we will renew, that’s still a bit of a question mark.”

She says the ag priorities U.S. officials are focused on in the early phase of negotiations include seasonality issues with produce growers, and geographic indicators for dairy products in Mexico.

“We do imagine this is not the end, this is not the be all end all of the list of what they’re negotiating, but they’ve been pretty forward with agriculture and stakeholders about what they’re hoping to achieve.”

The next round of USMCA negotiations is scheduled the week of July 20, when the U.S. and Mexico meet again. Houston says Canada has been slower to come to the table for negotiations, but she’s optimistic those talks become trilateral.