WASHINGTON, March 6, 2023 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack issued the following statement regarding today’s announcement by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that the United States is requesting technical consultations with Mexico under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Chapter of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). These consultations regard certain Mexican measures concerning products of agricultural biotechnology.
“Mexico is an important partner, and we remain committed to maintaining and strengthening our economic and trade ties. A robust, transparent agricultural trading relationship, founded on rules and science, is vital to ensuring food security, mitigating the lingering effects of food price inflation, and helping to address the climate crisis. Innovations in agricultural biotechnology play a key role in advancing these critical, global objectives.
“These consultations represent the next step in addressing the United States’ concerns with Mexico’s biotechnology policies. While we appreciate the sustained, active engagement with our Mexican counterparts at all levels of government, we remain firm in our view that Mexico’s current biotechnology trajectory is not grounded in science, which is the foundation of USMCA. We remain unequivocal in our stance that the science around agricultural biotechnology has been settled for decades.
“We remain hopeful that our concerns can be fully addressed but, absent that, we will continue to pursue all necessary steps to enforce our rights under the USMCA to ensure that U.S. producers and exporters have full and fair access to the Mexican market.”
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Today, United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack issued a statement regarding the consultation request with Mexico on matters related to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Secretary Vilsack stated, âPresident Biden, Vice President Harris, and I recognize and thank Mexico for responding to the U.S. request to engage in consultation regarding the operation of certain provisions in the USMCA. We are committed to restoring fairness and equity to international trading relationships and the consultation with Mexico serves as a strong foundation to that effort.â
The statement continues: âThe USMCA provides a durable and strategic framework to ensure fair and equitable trade between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This framework is especially important for the agricultural sector as it supports and promotes growth, stability, and innovation for years to come.â
Secretary Vilsack, known for his longtime support of the USMCA, highlights the critical importance of the agreement for farmers and ranchers. He notes, âThe USMCA is an invaluable tool for U.S. agriculture and our close collaboration with Mexico over the years has been invaluable in this effort. We look forward to continuing to work with Mexico to ensure a strong, successful, and vibrant trading relationship.â
The USMCA was signed into law by President Trump in December 2019. Since then, it has gone into effect in several countries, notably Mexico and Canada in July 2020, and the United States in September 2020. The various provisions of the agreement are aimed at addressing issues such as labor, environmental, and trade rules between the three countries. The consultation request with Mexico is the first step to ensuring that these provisions are implemented in an equitable manner.
As the Biden Administration is committed to international cooperation, the consultation request with Mexico provides an opportunity to strengthen the USMCA and ensure fair and equitable trade between the three countries. Secretary Vilsack is hopeful that this process will lead to a successful resolution and bring greater stability and certainty to U.S. farmers and ranchers.
