Source: USDA
Agriculture ministers from the United States, Canada and Mexico gathered in Savannah, Ga., on Tuesday to discuss the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

In a joint statement following the conclusion of their first trilateral meetings, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay, and Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture Jose Calzada expressed a mutual commitment to open and transparent trade.

“Our three nations are connected not only geographically, but through our deeply integrated agricultural markets. Our trading relationship is vital to the economies — and the people — of our respective countries. We are working together to support and create good jobs in all three countries. We share a commitment to keeping our markets open and transparent so that trade can continue to grow. That mutual commitment was reaffirmed in our discussions this week.

“The North American Free Trade Agreement has greatly helped our respective agricultural sectors as well as our consumers who have benefited from an ever-growing variety of safe, affordable food products all year around. While even the best trading partnerships face challenges from time to time, our agricultural differences are relatively few in the context of the $85 billion in agricultural trade that flows between our three nations each year.

“Over the years, the United States, Mexico and Canada have also worked collaboratively to protect plant and animal health, conduct joint research and share best practices. These efforts have helped to eradicate several pests and diseases from the region, differentiating us from the rest of the world. Our three countries remain committed to continued collaboration to ensure a safe and reliable regional supply chain that makes the North American agriculture sector more competitive.

“Our visit to Georgia fostered the mutual understanding and personal relationships that will help North American agriculture thrive, improve our regional partnership and collaboration, and strengthen our trading relationship.”