Naig: USMCA is a Welcome New Chapter for Trade

DES MOINES, Iowa (July 1, 2020) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig issued the following statement today as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement's (USMCA) entry into force marks the beginning of a historic new chapter for North American trade.

“Today, Iowa farmers gain greater access to our two largest export markets: Canada and Mexico,” said Secretary Naig. “Because of the Trump administration’s efforts to renegotiate unbalanced trade agreements, our producers will see significant improvements to rules of origin and intellectual property protections, and new opportunities with expanded market access. USMCA’s entry into force marks the beginning of a welcome new chapter for North American trade.”

USMCA replaces the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Under USMCA, Iowa producers will have more market access for their food and agricultural products. USMCA also improves intellectual property and labor protections and includes provisions for biotechnologies, including gene editing. Iowa exports more than $10.3 billion in agricultural products to Canada and Mexico each year, which supports 86,500 Iowa jobs, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.