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Protecting market share now a priority with USMCA

The head of the US Meat Export Federation says getting a new NAFTA agreement signed has been their top priority.

Dan Halstrom tells Brownfield Canada and Mexico represent a little over 4-million-dollars in sales.  And combined create the largest export market for US pork, beef, and lamb.

Now that the USMCA has been agreed to, he says the US has to protect their market share.  “Traditionally we’ve been between 80 and 90 percent share of imports of both pork and beef into Mexico,” he says.  “What we’re trying to do here is defend what we had before.”

Mexico has yet to lift tariffs on US pork products.  Halstrom says the first step was getting a new NAFTA agreement.  “We understand it’s a process,” he says.  “We’re confident that this will lead to eventual normal conditions.”

The agreement still needs to make its way through Congress and on to the Presidents desk for signature.

Earlier this week President Trump said he plans to have the agreement signed by the end of November.