Today, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) delivered the following opening statement at a full committee hearing entitled “Agricultural Perspectives on the Future of the USMCA”. Watch the hearing here.
[As prepared for delivery.]
Good morning and thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And thank you to our witnesses for your testimony today. I look forward to hearing from you about the importance of USMCA, improvements that can be made during review and the overall trade environment.
I want to say up front that while I’m happy to have a great group of witnesses before us, I am disappointed that USTR and USDA did not make themselves available for this hearing. Agriculture is a huge part of USMCA, and this committee needs to have the opportunity to hear directly and publicly from the administration on how they are advancing agricultural interests during negotiations.
Right now, America’s farmers are facing the worst economic crisis since the 1980s. Inputs are up, prices are down and markets have been decimated. Now more than ever, they need trade certainty to help weather this storm. They are pleading for it – trade, not aid.
Yet, for the past year and a half, we’ve watched this administration do the exact opposite. It has destroyed America’s reputation as a reliable trade partner.
We’ve seen an abuse of tariffs, and an inconsistent approach to trade barriers that raised prices for consumers while creating an unpredictable business environment.
Amidst this cloud of economic instability, family farmers have been able to largely turn to our allies to the north and south as reliable markets for our goods. They have served as ports in the storm during these difficult economic times. Now, by threatening to blow up USMCA, the president and his administration are threatening the last source of trade certainty our farmers have. They are right to have concerns – this president is unstable.
In the past year, the president has asked “Who would ever sign a thing like this?”
This might surprise the current Trump administration, but USMCA was negotiated by the first Trump administration and signed by President Trump.
And while USMCA may not be perfect – there are certainly improvements that can be made – it is still vital for American farmers, ranchers, foresters and businesses.
In our continued pursuit to feed, clothe and fuel the world, Mexico and Canada remain our top agricultural trade partners. Our relationship with these allies puts money in the pockets of family farmers and creates and supports jobs up and down the food supply chain.
In just the last year, my state, Minnesota, exported over $2 billion worth of agricultural products to Mexico and Canada. Our top agricultural exports are corn, grain and oilseed milling products and soybeans.
Minnesota exported $51 million in eggs to Canada and $44 million worth of sugar to Mexico.
In total, agricultural exports to Mexico and Canada support nearly 10,000 jobs in Minnesota.
That’s 10,000 people in Minnesota able to keep food on their table, raise a family and put a roof over their head because of North American trade.
That’s 10,000 Minnesotans whose jobs are at risk because President Trump would rather bully allies than build with them.
It worries me when the president calls USMCA “irrelevant.” It is even more concerning that at a time when we should be working with our allies to lower costs for farmers and fight back the influence of China, that the president announced a new ten percent tariff on Canada, Mexico and the EU. The timing could not be worse for more Trump trade chaos.
Our farm economy cannot take anymore shocks to the system. Right now, we need to be strengthening our relationships with allies, not undermining them, and I think that the testimony we hear today will affirm that trade across North America is vital.
I look forward to having a frank conversation today. Thank you again for being here. I yield back.
