Without the framework of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), nearly one-third of U.S. pork exports would be in immediate jeopardy. As negotiators met in Mexico City last week, the message from the ground was clear: this agreement is bigger than trade—it is the foundation of a $2.8-Billion relationship with Mexico and a $750-Million relationship with Canada that the U.S. cannot afford to lose.
USMCA, which went into effect in July 2020, requires that the three countries meet on July 1, 2026, to review the agreement. All three countries must agree on a path forward, which could mean extending the agreement for another 16 years, terminating the agreement or entering a period of annual consultations.
Why Being ‘On the Ground’ Makes a Difference
Although agriculture wasn’t formally on the agenda, Maria Zieba, NPPC vice president of government affairs for the National Pork Producers Council, was one of the few stakeholders allowed to travel to Mexico to meet with the negotiators.
“Essentially, they were negotiating in the morning, and giving us a briefing at night,” Zieba says.
One of the most valuable opportunities for the pork industry was Zieba’s conversations with U.S. and Mexico negotiators.
“We can stress the importance of the agreement and the things that we like in USMCA,” she explains. “We can talk about things that may need tweaking, too. Having the ability to be ‘on the ground’ and answer questions as they come up is very helpful and puts us at the top of the list towards being able to ensure that we get what we need for our producers.”
Animal Diseases Don’t Care About Borders
Producers need to talk to their members of Congress, their neighbors, and everybody about how good USMCA has been for U.S. pork, Zieba urges.
“If we were in a universe where USMCA didn’t exist, a third of our exports would be in jeopardy,” she says. “We have seen our markets increase to both Canada and Mexico. Mexico is our largest export market at $2.8 billion in 2025.”
However, this agreement isn’t just about U.S. pork exports. Not only is the supply chain more integrated now, but the three countries have been able to collaborate on a number of animal health issues, she says.
“This agreement is also about collaborating on animal health standards,” She says. “Foreign animal diseases don’t have borders. We have two really long borders between Canada and Mexico, but what we have learned over the past few years is that diseases cross over when we don’t want them to.”
Zieba credits the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for building a strong foundation years ago.
“It’s important to be playing by the same rules and to have that trust between the three nations,” she says. “That really wouldn’t not have been achieved without the trust that was built on NAFTA, now USMCA.”
North American Ag Unites
Nearly 160 organizations representing the American, Canadian and Mexican food and agricultural value chains sent a joint letter on June 1 to the trade representatives of their three countries urging them to renew and strengthen the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement as the required six-year joint review approaches.
The letter was sent to Ambassador Jamieson Greer, with the Office of the United States Trade Representative, Canada-U.S. Trade Representative Dominic LeBlanc and Mexico’s Secretary of the Economy Marcelo Ebrard.
Advocacy groups across sectors say to be globally competitive, continuing the efficient and seamless integration between the three countries is crucial. They argue that USMCA represents one of the largest trading blocs in the world, with over 500 million people, a $30 trillion-dollar GDP and a trade volume of $1.7 trillion.
“Without this trade agreement, North America is more vulnerable to countries that employ trade-restrictive policies that negatively impact the movement of food from areas of surplus to deficit,” the letter said. “[USMCA] is key to maintaining a competitive global advantage that reduces reliance on distant supply chains and encourages investment across the region.”
