American Farm Bureau president urges resolution to trade dispute
American Farm Bureau president Zippy Duvall is urging a de-escalation of a tariff war between the U.S. and Canada and a renewal of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
As a burgeoning trade war between the U.S. and Canada ramps up, the president of a leading agricultural organization is voicing alarm.
On Aug. 24, American Farm Bureau president Zippy Duvall urged a de-escalation of a tit-for-tat tariffs tiff between the neighbors and a renewal of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reacted on Aug. 25 to new 50% U.S. tariffs on certain Canadian goods by responding in kind on about $20 billion worth of American imports, including steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment.
“Agricultural exports are a critical component of farm success. More broadly, they create a positive ripple effect across the economy,” Duvall said in a statement.
“Our strong agreements with Canada and Mexico have eliminated nearly all tariffs for U.S. agriculture, allowing the majority of our farm products to enter those markets duty- and quota-free. Additional tariff escalations and subsequent retaliation will hurt U.S. agriculture at a time when farmers and ranchers are already struggling.”
A deadline to renew USMCA for another 16-year term passed July 1. The agreement, negotiated during the first Trump administration, is now set to renew annually and stay in effect for another decade if neither country decides to withdraw from it.
“Canada has been one of the most important trading partners for U.S. agriculture since our first free trade agreement in 1989,” Duvall said. “We are concerned that talks with our northern neighbor around a resolution to Section 338 tariffs have fallen apart in the midst of the USMCA review. We strongly urge the U.S. and Canada to return to the negotiating table and find a resolution.”