So, where do things stand on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) as it goes into effect in less than a month? North American leaders are selling USMCA as a big win that will remove uncertainty in the region. However, there are still some agricultural issues between the U.S. and Mexico that have to be worked out yet.
Kenneth Smith Ramos, Mexico?s former chief USMCA negotiator, says Southern U.S. growers and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer are still talking through seasonal produce concerns. Seasonal produce growers mainly located in Florida and Georgia have pushed for special provisions in USMCA that would allow them to more easily petition for anti-dumping or countervailing duties on Mexico, but that was left out of the final agreement. Still, they?re pushing for rules that would allow them to fight Mexican growers.
In the meantime, Mexican officials are still concerned about talk of the U.S. doing more border inspections. Mexico agreed to increased border inspections as part of a tomato suspension agreement, but now there?s a push to extend that to other agricultural goods entering the United States.
