06.19.19

Hoeven Statement After Mexico Approves the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today issued the following statement after Mexico approved the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

“Now that Mexico has approved the agreement, the U.S. and Canada should follow,” said Hoeven. “Access to the Canadian and Mexican markets is incredibly important to our agriculture producers and other industries, which is why we need to get this trade agreement in place as soon as possible. The USMCA has strong support in the U.S. Senate, but the bill has to originate in the House, so we need the House to take up the USMCA and pass it.” 

Hoeven has been making the case for approval of the USMCA and working to secure a path forward for the agreement in the United States Congress. As part of these efforts, the senator pressed for the removal of the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum from Mexico and Canada. In May, the administration reached agreement with Mexico and Canada to completely lift the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum without imposing quotas, and for the two countries to remove retaliatory tariffs placed on U.S. agriculture products. 

Additionally, in order to ensure the USMCA best serves the needs of North Dakota’s farmers, Hoeven worked to ensure that the agreement:

  • Eliminates Canada’s Downgrade of U.S. Wheat: Hoeven worked to ensure that the USMCA eliminates Canada’s automatic downgrade of imported U.S. wheat to feed grade to help make certain that grading standards and services are non-discriminatory.

Additionally, the USMCA:

  • Expands access to the Canadian market for U.S. poultry, eggs and dairy and eliminates Canada’s Class 6 and 7 dairy program.
  • Requires 75 percent of auto content to be produced in North America in order to be exempt from tariffs, up from 62.5 percent.
  • Makes needed modernizations on intellectual property, digital trade and financial services.

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