NAFTA Renegotiations: What’s at Stake for Agriculture?

The NAFTA renegotiations are well under way, with Canada, Mexico, and the United States having recently finished the fifth round of talks. These renegotiations are particularly important for farmers and ranchers: Canada and Mexico are the largest and third largest agricultural export markets for the U.S, respectively. For families, trade with Canada and Mexico means much better access to affordable agricultural products, particularly fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, U.S. trade negotiators have made proposals that would be harmful to agricultural producers and to consumers. For example, one proposal referred to as the “seasonal” provision would allow a subset of the produce industry to bring trade challenges even at the expense of the produce industry as a whole. This panel and discussion will explore the importance of agricultural trade with Canada and Mexico and address some of the agriculture-related concerns connected to the NAFTA renegotiations.