The third round of talks on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement concluded this week in Ottawa, with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland stating that progress was made “on a number of bread-and-butter trade issues.”
During the negotiations, the United States tabled a proposal to increase trade protections for seasonal and perishable produce. The National Pork Producers Council and most other U.S. agriculture groups oppose the proposal, which likely would provoke America’s NAFTA partners to push for mechanisms that make it easier to restrict U.S. farm exports.
The NPPC continues to press the Trump administration to maintain the current zero-duty market access into Canada and Mexico, emphasizing that U.S. pork cannot be collateral damage in the NAFTA renegotiations.
The next round of talks is set for Oct. 11-15 in Washington, D.C.
