The Texas Wheat Producers Association joined over 100 Texas-based business leaders and organizations in support of passing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). In a letter sent to congressional leadership on June 18, the group emphasized the importance of maintaining free trade with Mexico and Canada.
“We appreciate the progress the administration has made in negotiating a fair agreement to update NAFTA,” said Jody Bellah, association president. “Now, we urge Congress to take swift action in passing USMCA to provide certainty to the many sectors, including agriculture, which rely on these trade relationships.”
According to the letter, the annual value of Texas agricultural exports to Mexico and Canada totals more than $7.2 billion and supports over 60,400 jobs. Mexico is the largest and second-largest importer of Texas and U.S. wheat, respectively. On a larger scale, Texas is the largest exporter of all goods to Mexico and the second-largest exporter to Canada. The letter states that USMCA would only build on these achievements by breaking down existing trade barriers and opening more market access for products including wheat.
The Texas Wheat Producers Board further pursued a stronger relationship with Mexico by participating in the Mexican Wheat Trade Conference on June 10-12. Representatives met with officials from some of the largest flour mills in Mexico to build on current demand for Texas wheat as part of the board’s investment in market development.
“The board and association will continue to advocate for additional market access for Texas wheat producers,” said Rodney Mosier, executive vice president of Texas Wheat. “As farmers across Texas harvest their wheat, moving forward with USMCA will provide a much-needed boost to our farmers and certainty for our export customers.”
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