FORT WORTH, Texas — Robert McKnight, Jr., president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA), issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate today passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):

“We applaud the U.S. Senate for passing the landmark United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement today, and look forward to the president’s signature, finalizing U.S. ratification of the trade deal,” said McKnight.

“Like the U.S.-Japan trade agreement that took effect at the beginning of the year, this is yet another historic trade agreement that will benefit American cattle producers for decades to come.

“Each year, billions of dollars of U.S. beef will continue to flow to Canada and Mexico thanks to the hard work of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and Trump administration, especially U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Chief Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud. We sincerely appreciate their work on behalf of American agriculture.”

Background:

In 2018, beef exports to Mexico and Canada accounted for almost a quarter of the United States’ $8.3 billion in total beef exports. U.S. beef exports to Mexico accounted for a value of more than $1 billion. Exports to Canada reached almost $750 million.

Since duty-free access to Canada and Mexico began in 1994, U.S. beef exports to the two countries have increased by 750%.

Texas, which has more cattle than any other state in the nation, has greatly benefited from this duty-free access. In 2018, more than $357 million in Texas beef was sold Mexico, making preservation of free trade essential to Texas cattle producers.

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