USMCA trade welcomed by chicken farmers

The deal, known as the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), replaces the 25-year old North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta).

US president Donald Trump tweeted the deal as: “The best and most important trade deal ever made by the USA. Good for everybody – Farmers, Manufacturers, Energy, Unions.”

And the National Chicken Council applauded the agreement, which will improve market access for poultry producers.

NCC president Mike Brown said: “It will also positively impact both the US agriculture sector and the broader national economy.

“On behalf of America’s chicken producers, I want to thank President Trump for his leadership and for the tireless work of the administration, including Agriculture Secretary Perdue and US Trade Representative Lighthizer. After a year of negotiations, the time to act is now. We encourage swift Congressional consideration and passage of USMCA before Christmas.”

“Farmers have been struggling in the face of bad weather and unpredictable trade policy,” Angela Hofmann, co-executive director of the lobby group, Farmers for Free Trade told the BBC.

“Passing USMCA will guarantee that our farmers’ closest and most important markets, will remain free from tariffs and red tape.”