Washington, D.C – National Chicken Council President Mike Brown issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate today passed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) by an 89-10 vote:
“The passage of USMCA is great news for America’s chicken producers,” Brown said. “USMCA will maintain or improve market access for chicken exports in our top two valued markets – Mexico and Canada. It will also positively impact both the U.S. agriculture sector and the broader national economy.
“I want to thank President Trump for his leadership and for the tireless work of the administration, including Agriculture Secretary Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer. We look forward to President Trump’s signature as early as today.”
The House of Representatives passed the bill on December 19, 2019, by a 385-41 vote. Mexico passed the agreement on December 12, 2019. Canada has yet to vote on the agreement, but the House of Commons returns on January 27 and is expected to approve the agreement soon after.
In 2018, the last full year data is available, Mexico was a $517 million market for U.S. chicken exports, with Canada totaling $352 million.
###
