The letter notes that North American intraregional food and
agricultural trade is now largely free of tariff and quota restrictions and
that it has been “a windfall for U.S. farmers, ranchers and food processors.”
Among those signing the letter are Cargill Inc., JBS USA,
National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), National Turkey Federation, North American
Meat Institute (NAMI), Smithfield Foods, Tyson Foods Inc. and the U.S. Meat
Export Federation (USMEF).
U.S. food and agriculture exports to Mexico and Canada have
more than quadrupled under NAFTA, growing from $8.9 billion in 1993 to $38.6
billion in 2015, according to the letter.
It is, however, a high priority for the U.S. dairy industry
to gain increased access to the Canadian market.
