Canada’s Agri-Food Exporters Praise Historic Coming-into-force of CUSMA

Dan Darling, President of CAFTA, today issued the following statement to mark the coming-into-force of the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

“On behalf of our members – the hundreds of thousands of farmers, ranchers, food manufacturers and agrifood exporters who rely on trade for their livelihood, we are pleased the successor agreement to NAFTA is now in force. Today is an important day and for all of us to celebrate free and open trade in North America. 

“The United States and Mexico are the first and fourth largest export markets for Canadian food and agricultural products. Today we have officially restored stability and predictability to North American trade which is vital for Canadian agri-food exporters that have developed highly integrated supply chains for the past generation across the continent.

“We appreciate the value of tariff free markets across leading sectors of the economy, including manufacturing and of course agriculture and agri-food. We are happy that the CUSMA now in force reduces uncertainty that has clouded North American trade and investment since the NAFTA re-negotiations began in 2017.

“Key benefits the CUSMA brings to our sector include no new tariffs on any agri-food products and enhanced market access in select areas, preservation of highly integrated agri-food supply chains, processes that help remove remaining technical barriers to trade and maintaining dispute resolution provisions that are vital for agri-food exporters.

“Free and predictable trade of agriculture and food across North America has been incredibly successful at providing abundant, safe and high quality food. The CUSMA will help restore competitiveness of the North American free trade platform and enable a globally competitive sector that drives the economy in all three countries.

“We applaud the leadership of Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland and the tireless work of negotiators for modernizing and reaching a comprehensive and high-standard agreement. We look forward to continuing to work with officials on the proper implementation of the agreement to ensure Canadian exporters can realize the full benefits of the CUSMA.

“The current crisis has shown us just how important free and open trade is, and why we need a rules-based global trading system. Today is a strong step forward in showing that continuing to lower trade barriers in all their forms is the best way to secure a meaningful post-pandemic global economic recovery.”

CAFTA is the voice of Canadian agri-food exporters, representing the 90% of farmers who depend on trade and the ranchers, producers, processors and agri-food exporters who want to grow the economy through better access to international markets. This includes the beef, pork, meat, grains, cereals, pulses, soybeans, canola as well as the sugar, malt, and processed food industries. The sectors CAFTA represents 90 per cent of Canada’s agri-food exports and support about a million jobs in urban and rural communities across Canada.

For further information, please contact:
Claire Citeau
Executive Director

T: 613-560-0500 / C: 613-266-9104
cciteau@cafta.org